Because I Love You
by pain17ification
Summary: After Pein's defeat, Naruto returns to the village with a surprise survivor. This change is one of many that occur upon his return, with another being a dream of his partially realized and his thoughts towards someone taking a positive turn. Thrust into an unprepared role, how will Naruto face the future? And will Love truly overcome Power? NaruHina, alive Kushina, and Konan too!
1. Chapter 1: Acknowledgment

**Hello**

 **I won't give a big opening note for this, instead saving it for the end. I only ask – possibly even** _ **plead**_ **– that you all give this a chance before you immediately leave in annoyance or frustration. I understand that this pairing has been** _ **done to death**_ **, but I'm doing it anyway.**

 **I'll explain more in the ending notes.**

 **Disclaimer: The source material used in this FanFiction do not belong to me. This story is a nonprofit creation solely used for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 _Because I Love You_

 _Chapter 1: Acknowledgment_

* * *

Tired breaths escaped him as he trudged forward, hoping to return to the village and see if everyone had been revived. His fellow Uzumaki had given up his life to atone for what he had done, and the woman who had stood beside him had assured him that she wouldn't be his enemy anymore. It was still rather shocking, seeing Nagato's once red hair bleed away to pale white while his already withered skin shrunk in on itself even more.

He had to stop moving, leaning against a tree as he tried to catch his breath. The fight with Yahiko's body, the other five Paths of Pain, and nearly losing himself to the Kyuubi had exhausted him more than anything had ever done before. Unable to stay standing, he leaned his back against the tree, sliding down slowly so that he sat on the ground.

 _"Rest, sweetheart,"_ a soothing voice echoed in his mind, making him smile through his exhaustion. _"You've more than earned it."_

Unaware of the voice, a small white and blue slug crawled onto Naruto's shoulder. "I've confirmed that man's words with my copies back in the village," Katsuyu, Tsunade's personal Slug Summon, spoke to him. "Those who were killed by Pein have been restored, Naruto-san. You don't need to worry anymore."

He chuckled weakly, leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes. "Thank goodness…" he sighed out. "Do you think you could have one of your copies have somebody come to get me? I'm too exhausted to move."

"Of course," she assured him. "Just rest and I'll inform someone."

"Will do," he replied softly, letting himself ease into sleep.

When his eyes opened again, he found himself in an open field that was lit by an orange sunset, the solar rays lighting up a cozy home that resided in the center of the field. With a smile, he made his way to the home and reached up to knock.

Before his knuckles could even touch the door, it opened and a beautiful redheaded woman with violet eyes presented herself. Smiling gently at him, she stepped aside and silently invited him in, which he accepted with a grateful nod. Once inside, she closed the door before turning around and pulling him into a loving embrace.

"You've fought so hard, dear," she praised, speaking softly with a voice full of love. "And I'm so proud of the man you've become."

Hugging her back, he gave a short chuckle and replied, "Thanks, mom."

It was such a surprise to Naruto to meet, not only his father, but his mother when he nearly gave into his rage. His fingers had just grabbed a corner of the seal holding the Kyuubi at bay, but Minato had appeared out of nowhere and pulled him away while golden chains sprung out from the floor and tied down the Bijuu; chains that had been created by Kushina. The fox had been furious at their appearance, but they spared the beast no time and transported their son to a quieter part of the seal.

Once alone, they had introduced themselves as his parents, apologizing all the while for the life he had endured as an orphaned Jinchūriki. He had wanted to punch Minato for what he had done, but instead he broke down and let out years of pent up frustrations and sadness. His parents were there to comfort him, and Naruto was able to experience true parental love for the first time since he was born.

Minato, unfortunately, didn't have the chakra capacity to stay for long; only having enough to restore the seal to its original strength before he faded away. Before he left, he assured his son that he was proud of him, that he believed in him, and that he loved him. It was a bittersweet reunion for the two men.

Taking the limited time available with her son, Kushina quickly informed Naruto that she wasn't going anywhere and helped him reign in the Kyuubi's chakra while he gathered the energy needed for his Sage Mode.

The rest was history. He initiated the final round between himself and Pein, beating the final puppet that Nagato had been using before he confronted his fellow Uzumaki. After a clash of beliefs – beliefs that had been forged under their tutelage of Jiraiya the Toad Sage – Naruto had finally convinced Nagato that he had lost sight of Jiraiya's real teachings and dreams for the future; becoming a villain instead of the hero Jiraiya wished for him to be.

Now, Naruto was back inside of the representation of his seal, arriving in a personal area that Kushina had made. Sitting at the table in the envisioned home, he waited for her to sit down before he started asking questions.

"So…why didn't you fade away like dad did?" he asked after a slight pause. "Did you put in more than he did?"

She smiled softly at him, seeing the anxiety in her son's eyes. "Relax, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere; promise. My chakra has a steady supply to keep drawing from."

"What does that mean?"

"What do you know about the seal placed on you, Naruto; besides how it holds back the fox?" she asked back, making him think.

"Well…there's more to it than I first thought, obviously; considering how you and dad showed up to stop me from freeing the fox."

Nodding, she stood up and swiped her arm, distorting the area around them and changing it to a location familiar to them both; the Academy classroom. On the board behind her was an illustration of Naruto's seal, with some extra notes displayed for him to see.

"The seal used was in fact two seals that linked together to form a singular one," Kushina explained, pointing to how the top and bottom curves that surrounded the spiral marking were the same; just flipped. "These seals are known as Four-Symbol Seals, Naruto. They're usually meant for sealing something or someone into an object; or in your case, a person. However, alone they can only hold so much, which is why two of them were needed, along with something to link them both together."

Naruto studied the seal, trying to keep up with his mother's explanation. "Is it…the spiral?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, the spiral marking is the bridge that is connecting the seals. This causes them to fuse into the Eight Trigrams Seal; one of the highest caliber seals of the Uzumaki Clan."

"Wait, we had a clan?" he asked in shock.

"Focus, dear. One subject at a time, okay?" she urged, earning a nod from him. "Now, Minato-kun wasn't an Uzumaki, but he definitely had the talent of one when it came to fūinjutsu. I helped him get to where he was, but he still had plenty of skill on his own."

"What does that have to do with how you're here?"

"Your father and I deposited a portion of our chakra into the Eight Trigrams Seal, leaving it there along with certain conditions. In Minato's case, it was if you nearly lost yourself to the temptations of the Kyuubi where as I was meant to show up when you tried to fully control its power."

"But…you showed up early," he noted, earning a smile from her. "What changed?"

"My gamble," she answered. "Just before your father sealed the fox and our chakra within you, I made a slight change to the makeup of the seal with the hope that I would be able to be with you longer than I was originally meant to."

"What would've happened if the gamble failed?" he asked. "Would something go wrong with the seal?"

"No, this gamble was actually low in terms of risk. If it failed, my chakra would've behaved normally; appearing when it was meant to. Thanks to the success, my infused chakra keeps getting replenished by the fox's," she informed him, smiling proudly. "I like to think it was one of rare moments of brilliance, ttebane."

He couldn't help but chuckle at the verbal tic, making her blush in embarrassment. "I'm glad that you're here to stay then, ttebayo," he replied, purposely throwing out his own tic and making her smile return. "So, how does the replenishing work?"

"The seal alone is meant to take the fox's chakra and slowly siphon it into your own after purifying it of the differences. I piggybacked off that, sending a small portion of that siphoning to my own chakra so that it stayed _alive_ in a sense. Does that make sense?"

"Sorta… It sounds like you poked a hole in the pipe that was taking some of the Kyuubi's chakra, and are taking from whatever comes out."

She looked amused at the simplified analogy of her explanation. "More or less," she confirmed, changing the scenery back to the inside of the small home. "So, since our chakra has made contact, I'm now able to freely interact with you and offer you some of my chakra; so long as we make sure that I'm left with enough to keep me from fading away."

He nodded in understanding. "Would it be possible to move your chakra into another source; so that you could have your own body?"

"Let's not go there yet, dear. It borders on _artificial life_ , and that's a very touchy subject. For now, take some time to rest. You've been through a rough fight and I know you're still exhausted."

He smiled at her concern, happy to finally experience a mother's care. Tsunade tried to give that to him on occasion; which he greatly appreciated since they had bonded deeply over the years. It just wasn't the same as _actual_ motherly care, though.

Kushina led him to a small couch in the home, letting him lay down on it with his head in her lap. She gently ran her fingers through his spiky hair as he drifted off, a gentle smile on her face as she spent time with her precious child.

* * *

 _I used to always cry and give up…_

Blue eyes blinked at the voice as he stood in an endless void, alone in the darkness.

 _I made many wrong turns…_

The voice was familiar to him, but he couldn't place it.

 _But you… You helped me find the right path…_

A distant light was seen, no bigger than a star that was millions of miles away. With a small frown, he started to head for it.

 _I always chased after you…_

He picked up the pace from walking to a jog, trying to recall the owner of the voice.

 _I wanted to catch up to you…_

Jogging turned to running, desperation creeping into his heart.

 _I wanted to walk beside you all the time…_

He was sprinting now, going full speed to reach the growing light.

 _I just wanted to be with you…_

The light's color changed from bright white to pale lavender with dark blue edges.

 _You changed me! Your smile is what saved me!_

"I know that voice," he growled to himself. "Why can't I remember?"

 _That is why I'm not afraid to die protecting you!_

He finally broke through the light, stumbling and falling onto destroyed ground before looking up. His eyes went wide in horror, seeing the owner of the voice standing before him with a gentle smile as a sharpened, black rod was stabbing out from behind her.

 _Because…_

As he watched her speak, he saw a small line of blood leaving her lips, but she showed no pain or anguish; only pure, genuine affection that was aimed directly at him.

 _I love you…_

His heart clenched as he saw a shadowed figure with menacing ringed eyes behind her, carrying the rod that was piercing her. The shadows slowly receded, showing the emotionless gaze of Pein as the name of the young woman finally came back to him.

* * *

"HINATA!" he cried, jolting awake with cold sweat rolling down his neck. His eyes were wide and trembling, looking around frantically in search of the woman in question but seeing no one.

"Naruto," a voice spoke up, making him jump in shock and quickly turn around to see that it was Kakashi, who was standing on a branch of the tree he had been resting against. "Easy now," he appeased, dropping to the ground with his hands up. "It's me, Kakashi. You recognize me?"

Slowly getting his breathing back under control, Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I do, sensei. I was just…having a nightmare."

"Can't really call it that given that it's still light out," the Jonin tried joking, hoping to lighten the mood. To his dismay, it didn't work. "I'm here to help you back to the village. You good to go?"

Naruto took a few more breaths before he replied, "Give me another minute…"

"Sure thing." Kakashi looked over his student, seeing how worn out he looked both physically and emotionally. _'He's been through a lot, for sure. That dream of his almost set him over the edge. What could he have seen?'_

Back with Naruto, he heard his mother call out, _"Are you alright, Naruto?"_

 _'I can't believe I almost forgot what she said,'_ he answered, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. _'I couldn't even remember her name until I saw her die again, dammit!'_

 _"Calm down, sweetheart. Just breathe, calm your nerves."_ She waited for him to heed her advice, standing by for when he was ready. _"Now, remember what happened between you and Nagato; how he revived those he killed?"_

It didn't hit him right away, but when it did he gasped silently as hope started to rise. _'She could still be alive!'_

 _"Not COULD, Naruto-kun; IS alive. She was the last person Pein killed before he revived everyone, right? That means she should've been revived first."_

He didn't bother fighting the relieved smile that spread across his lips. "Thank goodness," he whispered to himself.

"Hmm? You ready?" Kakashi asked, not hearing what Naruto had said.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto replied, giving his sensei a nod. "I'm ready."

"Glad to hear it. Now, I'll help you get back since I'm sure you're still pretty exhausted. So, just lean on me and I'll get us home."

The blonde Uzumaki rested his arm across Kakashi's shoulders as the man helped his student stay standing. "Thanks for this, sensei…"

"Nonsense, Naruto. This is the very least I could do after what you've done." He gave the Uzumaki his signature eye-smile and finished, "You did good."

He chuckled bashfully at that, not used to praise.

* * *

It was a slow walk back, but Kakashi felt that it was just the right pace. During the walk, he took time to reflect on his student's growth and was both proud and saddened about how far Naruto had come.

He was proud of the man Naruto had become; strong, determined, loyal, unflinching against danger, and willing to give everything for those he loved.

However, he was saddened that he had such little to offer towards that outcome. From what he could remember, Kakashi had only taught Naruto a handful of things: teamwork, how to use chakra to climb trees, and how to better understand Wind Style. There was so much he could've taught him, but he didn't and Jiraiya had taken over that responsibility.

The man knew he was no longer Naruto's teacher officially once he had signed the Toad Contract from Jiraiya. That right there had basically declared to the world that the blonde was then apprenticed to the Toad Sage; a title now given to Naruto with Jiraiya's death and his successful understanding of senjutsu.

 _'In the end, I didn't teach you much,'_ he mused before he and his passenger heard distant cheering getting louder, spotting almost the entire populace of the Hidden Leaf waiting for their hero's return at the main gates. He smiled behind his mask as he helped Naruto stand on his own and some villagers approached. _'But…at least I was able to be a part of your story, Naruto…'_

Naruto was stunned at the sight before him, unable to comprehend how the villagers were so happy to see him after everything that had happened.

"Glad you made it back okay!" one villager called out.

"We knew you could do it!" another cried happily.

Any further comments bled into one another, getting mixed up and unclear; however, the message was clear as glass. He had returned a hero, and they were both happy and grateful for it.

He had finally been acknowledged by his home.

Kakashi wisely moved aside as the villagers crowded around their hero, bombarding him with excited questions and well wishes as he awkwardly tried to keep them out of his personal space. His smile remained as he witnessed it, happy for Naruto and how his dream of being recognized had finally come true. _'You did well…'_

Naruto tried to keep up with the questions, not used to the attention and awkwardly smiling at the admiration small children had in their eyes. He would've kept trying, but he caught a familiar glimpse of pale lavender and he locked eyes with the source.

It was Hinata, perfectly fine and giving her own tearful smile at his return. Flashes of what she had done and his nightmare crossed his mind in short bursts, urging him to push through the crowd and make his way over to her. When the distance was clear enough, he closed it quickly and engulfed the suddenly stunned woman in a fierce hug as tears fell from his eyes.

"I was… I was so worried," he choked out, unable to cope with his emotional overflow. "I thought that…that you were…"

She knew he couldn't finish; so she hugged him back and clutched the back of his jacket as her own tears fell. "I know… I was worried about you too, Naruto-kun…" She let go of him and gently pressed against his chest, placing them arm's length apart so that she can reach up and cup his cheek. She smiled through her tears and finished, "I'm so glad you made it back…"

He choked out a laugh before pulling her back into another hug; one that she readily accepted. This was only the second time he had seen someone close to him nearly die; the first being Sasuke when the two of them faced Haku many years ago. This time, though, was harder for him to deal with because of those four final words she had said before she risked her life.

Those words… They were words he longed to hear, and they had come from someone he least expected to say them. Hundreds of thoughts went through his mind, but the biggest was a wonderment of how long she had felt that way for him.

 _"When you have more time,"_ he heard his mother comment, _"take a moment to speak with her privately. Ask her all the questions you have on your mind and search your own feelings. I was just as lost as you were when I was falling in love with Minato-kun."_

Mentally nodding at her advice, he pulled away from the Hyuuga heiress and gave her a small grin before he turned to find a medic. He had someone he needed to see.

* * *

The sight of Tsunade just…laying there was hard on Naruto. He almost expected her to wake up, complain about a headache, and then demand a dish of sake. He knelt by her bedside, gently grabbing her hand.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I wish I had come sooner…"

Behind him, Shizune watched on sadly as her master was unresponsive to Naruto's apologies. Stepping over to him, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and pulled him away. "She'll be fine, Naruto. I'll put all of my attention on her recovery."

He turned to her and saw her determination, and the two shared a smile. "Thanks, Shizune-nee…"

"No need for that. She's one of _my_ precious people, and like you, I don't plan to let those people down." She patted his cheek, smiling softer before hugging him. "We can never thank you enough for saving us, Naruto… I never thought I'd come back when Pein killed me, but I wound up waking up a few hours ago. I know that you had something to do with that."

"Yeah… I was able to talk some sense into him and he revived everyone at the cost of his life. I feel a little bad for being happy someone else died, but I can't help it when people I could've lost came back in the end."

"I understand what you're trying to say. It's not easy to be happy for someone else's sacrifice; even if that person had wronged you. It further shows how good you are, Naruto-kun."

He turned slightly bashful at the compliment before he left Shizune to her duties, running into a man who looked like an older Shikamaru. "You're…Shikaku, right? The Nara Leader?"

He chuckled. "Got it in one, Naruto." His expression then turned serious as he continued, "I need you to tell me everything that happened between you and Pein. We need to report it for records."

Frowning, Naruto nodded and followed the Jonin Commander to relay what he'd seen, done, and felt during his epic clash of Sage vs "God".

* * *

"And that's it," Naruto finished, sitting in the records room of the Hokage Tower. "Nagato revived the villagers, died doing it, and then had his and Yahiko's bodies taken by Konan back to the Hidden Rain."

"And you let her do so…?"

"He may have been responsible for all of this, but in the end, he was a sibling student who lost his way. I wanted to respect his atonement, y'know."

"And what of Konan? Will she seek vengeance?" Shikaku pressed.

"No," Naruto replied in a heartbeat, shaking his head. "She said she wasn't going back to the Akatsuki and that they would no longer be welcome in the Hidden Rain."

"How can you be sure?"

The blonde answered by unsealing the paper bouquet that Konan had given to him, handing it to his superior officer. "I double-checked it for any seals and such; but there was nothing there. She asked me to place it as a memorial to Jiraiya-sensei."

The Jonin Commander nodded with a small hum, handing the flowers back to Naruto. "I still have some doubts, but my son has always trusted your judgment and I can see why. I won't have anyone go looking for her if you really believe she's no longer a threat."

"She might be an ally if we send her a message," Naruto suggested. "I could write to her and have a toad deliver it."

"Not a bad proposal; but save that for when we've got some sort of management again."

"Management?" Naruto repeated.

 _"He's talking about how Tsunade is in a coma,"_ Kushina clarified.

"We can't be without a leader for extended periods of time, Naruto," Shikaku informed. "No doubt there will be some sort of vote for a temporary leader until Tsunade-sama either wakes up…or passes."

"She's _not_ going to die," Naruto growled out.

"I'm not saying I want her to," the man placated. "However, we still need to prepare for the worst. It's like that saying."

"Yeah, I've heard it," the Uzumaki cut off testily. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." He took a moment to reign in his anger before he asked, "Who do you think will become the temporary Hokage?"

"Honestly? I'd choose Kakashi since he's got the skill and the experience. However, there's someone else who could take it; someone with lots of political backing."

 _"Danzo,"_ Naruto heard Kushina spit out.

"You can't mean-!" Naruto tried to say, but a grim nod cut him short.

"Yeah… He may swipe the title away and do whatever he can to keep it; even if Tsunade-sama wakes up."

"Like hell, he will! There's no way I'm letting him take that title; temporary or not!"

"And how do you propose to stop him from doing so?" Shikaku challenged with a frown only to get a mischievous grin from the orange-loving blonde.

"I've got something ready to kill his chances. Just give me time to gather a few things."

The man rumored to outmaneuver any general found himself not wanting to know what Naruto's plan was. He was just going to sit back and wait for the fireworks.

* * *

It was rather tense in the Council Chambers as the Daimyo of Fire Country sat before the Hidden Leaf officials, questioning them about recent events based on messages he had received mere days ago.

"We plan on continuing with other countries to counter the threat posed by Akatsuki," Homura assured the man, making his intentions on the matter at hand clear. "We're one of the the remaining village with a Jinchūriki; so, it isn't difficult to assume that they will target us again."

One of the Daimyo's aide's replied, "After what's happened to the village, the Capital will do anything it can into getting the village rebuilt; but first, we need to set up a considerable amount of budget and then consider the strain on the other settlements in the country as well."

Danzo, who had silently listened to the report and talk of rebuilding, raised his head and showed his uncovered eye, which gave a small gleam of planning. "There are other important issues to be discussed, such as who the next Hokage will be, Daimyo-sama."

The others in the room remained silent for a moment while Shikaku frowned to himself. _'I didn't think he'd be this eager to get this talk started.'_

The Daimyo sighed at the inquiry, showing his reluctance on the topic. "Couldn't we just wait for Tsunade to awaken? I am sure the matter will fix itself eventually."

Koharu shook her head in response and voiced her opinion, "My lord, Tsunade is still in a coma. We can't decide on a plan for the village, and we are still unsure if she will wake up. Besides, the village's destruction was partially her fault."

The Nara's frown deepened at the shift in blame. "That isn't a fair judgment, Koharu-sama. It's not as if Tsunade-sama _knew_ that Pein was coming to the Leaf when he did."

The elderly woman said nothing in response, merely giving off a dismissive huff.

The Fire Lord sighed again as he leaned back into his seat, fanning himself. "I'd like to choose Jiraiya since I rather like the man. It's still difficult to accept that he's gone now…"

Seeing Danzo was about to speak, Shikaku intervened, "Daimyo-sama, I nominate Kakashi Hatake."

The man seemed interested at the nomination. "Oho? The son of the White Fang, was it? Why not?" Turning to his aides and advisors, he asked, "What do all of you think?"

Murmurs and whispers passed between them as they debated about the situation.

"He's well known, strong, and respected that's true; but he's very young," one commented.

"Minato-sama was even younger when he became the Fourth Hokage," another argued.

A councilman then asked Shikaku, "Who was it that taught Kakashi-san?"

Shikaku replied in a calm demeanor, "The Fourth Hokage." Mentally, he was sighing in relief since it looked like things were swinging in his favor. _'Hopefully, we won't need you to intervene, Naruto.'_

The Fire Daimyo seemed impressed with the Copy Ninja's resume. "Ah, Kakashi who was taught by the Fourth Hokage, who was taught by Jiraiya, who was taught by Hiruzen Sarutobi… Yes, I think that is a fine selection!"

"The Third Hokage's teachings have as good as destroyed the village!" Danzo cut in, showing visible disapproval as he frowned. "The leader of Akatsuki, Pein, was once Jiraiya's pupil!"

The outburst crashed into the Daimyo and his council, making Shikaku bite back a curse since it looked like the old warhawk would gain some headway.

To his relief, the doors to the chamber burst open and a familiar blonde stormed into the room. "The Third Hokage was never wrong in his teachings, Danzo."

The entrance had succeeded in gathering the attention of everyone in the Council Chambers, with the Daimyo looking rather interested at the sight of the rumored Hero of the Leaf. _'My word, he looks like the late Fourth…'_

"You were responsible for this Danzo," Naruto continued, gripping a scroll tightly in his hand, "and I would be damned if you were to become Hokage. You were the one that let Pein roam free in Konoha!" His tone turned accusing as he pointed directly at the old man, "You and Hanzo the Salamander were the ones who turned Nagato of the Hidden Rain into Pein of the Rinnegan!"

Everyone seemed quiet at that, shocked at the dramatic accusation declared by the whiskered blonde. At this moment, Homura and Koharu stood up to try and get the situation back under control.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you are not permitted to enter the council room," Koharu stated with a noticeable frown. "This will be considered an act of insubordination if you do not leave immediately."

 _"I forgot how prudish those two were,"_ Kushina commented dryly. _"They even gave Minato-kun grief when he was Hokage…"_

Thankfully for the Uzumaki, the Daimyo waved down the two elders. "I will allow him to say his piece. If I'm not mistaken, this young man was the one who put a stop to Pein and the destruction of this very village. As such, he may have better insight on the man's motives."

Shikaku had to fight a smirk as he replied, "Yes, sir. I had received Naruto-san's report on his battle with Pein just the other day, and what he relayed to me was more helpful than what other reports had to offer."

The man nodded with a pleased smile. "Then it's best that he _does_ stay and speak." Turning to the blonde Uzumaki, the Daimyo continued, "The floor is yours, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto made sure to bow in thanks when Kushina mentally bopped him on the head. No need to disrespect the man who gave him such an opportunity; not to mention the fact that he was the _leader_ of their country.

Turning back to Danzo, Naruto picked up where he left off. "Where did you get information about Pein being my sensei's pupil? As far as I can tell, only the Sannin and the Third Hokage knew of Jiraiya teaching a trio of orphans from the Hidden Rain."

Murmurs were heard from the others while Danzo sat silently, giving away nothing.

"You've admitted your own guilt, Danzo. You've just hinted about your involvement with the affairs of the Hidden Rain; more specifically, with Hanzo of the Salamander." Blue eyes narrowed angrily. "It was because of you that Nagato became the leader of the current Akatsuki by killing his friend, Yahiko. You thought that their movement in Rain was a threat on its own without even considering that we should not interfere in political affairs that don't even concern us."

Shikaku smirked at the allegations directed against Danzo. "He makes a solid point. After all, what happened in the Hidden Mist is another good example. We don't intervene in actions that concern internal affairs of other countries; something you continuously suggest at meetings in the Leaf Council." He regarded the elderly man, analytical eyes boring into his bandaged face. "What say you on these accusations, Danzo?"

"I ask this child: Where's your proof?" Danzo fired back, outwardly calm but inwardly fuming.

Naruto's response was ready in a heartbeat. "The citizens of Konoha that were revived is proof enough."

The others looked curious at his response while Shikaku kept his smirk and closed his eyes.

"After I defeated Pein, I confronted the one who was controlling his body; a fellow Uzumaki named Nagato. He confessed to me that originally, the Akatsuki only wanted to have peace talks with Hanzo in hopes of restoring order to the Hidden Rain. But you, Danzo, coaxed Hanzo of the Salamander to suppress the movement. Because of this, Nagato was vulnerable to manipulation; turning the original Akatsuki from a Resistance Group into a terrorist organization that went and gathered all the Jinchūriki and Bijuu that roamed."

"How are the citizens concerned with this?" Homura questioned.

"Those who are skilled enough with the Rinnegan have an ability to revive the people that have died within a certain period of time," Naruto explained, getting the Daimyo's interest. "Nagato and I were both students of Jiraiya, and he passed on his ideals for peace to us. But, Nagato's views of peace were warped by the one who manipulated him into changing Akatsuki. If I hadn't convinced him that Jiraiya's teachings weren't wrong, those who were killed during his attack would've stayed dead." He turned to the Daimyo and emphasized his points. "Friends, family, loved ones… All of them would've stayed dead if I hadn't gotten through to Nagato. I was able to sympathize with him, and he decided to use his last moments to make it up to me, to Jiraiya-sensei, and to the Hidden Leaf. It was then that he gave me the reason why he was so set on destroying the village; because Danzo aided Hanzo in putting down the peace group that was once known as Akatsuki."

The Daimyo took a few moments to consider Naruto's words, thinking over how these allegations would affect those of other nations. "Those are some rather solid points, Uzumaki-san. And the proof is, as you say, in those that have been revived. Based on that, I cannot allow Danzo to become the next Hokage. Just from a political standpoint, it might cause outrage from within the Leaf and from other nations if word of his past actions became public knowledge."

 _"Naruto,"_ Kushina spoke up. _"Don't forget that you need to tell the Daimyo how you should've arrived earlier."_

Perking up, Naruto turned to the Daimyo and continued, "Sir, there's something else that you need to hear."

"Is it tied to this meeting?" the man asked back. "I accepted your interruption because you made such a vocal accusation and because you had better insight on Pein than we did. If what you have to say isn't related to this…" He let the statement hang.

"I promise you that it is. Before Pein showed up, I was in the realm of the Toad Summons learning from them. I made sure that people in charge knew to call me if anything was wrong; leaving behind a toad to summon me back if something happened." He frowned and continued, "The thing is, I was delayed from returning until _after_ Pein made a crater in the center of the village, and the toad meant to summon me was killed in the time between Pein's arrival and my calling."

To prove his point, Naruto handed the man the scroll he had brought with him into the Council Chambers. The Daimyo curiously took it and rolled it open, allowing Naruto to point to a name that had been blacked out and smeared away.

"That was where a toad called Kōsuke had his name placed. According to the Elder Toads, a name only looks like that if they were killed; but, Pein couldn't have killed him since the name hasn't been restored."

"Which means," Shikaku deduced, "someone else had to have killed Kōsuke; someone who knew what his purpose was. It wouldn't make sense for Pein to kill him since he was _targeting_ Naruto in the first place; it'd be counterproductive."

The Daimyo frowned at that. "I'll have someone investigate this matter," he declared, handing the rolled up scroll back to Naruto. "In the meantime, we still need to nominate a temporary Hokage. Shikaku-san, do you still nominate Kakashi Hatake?"

Giving a discreet glance at Naruto, who had decided to excuse himself, he had a faint smile and replied, "Actually…"

* * *

"So, Pein was defeated," Tobi, playing his Madara Uchiha persona, noted. Zetsu responded with a short nod. "And what of the Hokage nominations?"

White Zetsu answered, "We couldn't sneak in for long since the village is still on high alert."

 **"But,"** Black Zetsu continued, **"based on the speculation I was able to gather, I think it might be Danzo."**

Tobi's visible eye gleamed at that. "That'll be just perfect…"

"Konan is not coming back," White Zetsu added. "She's most likely returning to the Hidden Rain with Nagato and Yahiko's bodies."

Tobi remained silent for a moment contemplating his next move. "Kisame, you go after the Hachibi. I've got my own matters to attend to. Zetsu, confirm that Danzo is indeed the Hokage, and then come with me when you're done."

Thoughts of a possible meeting between the Five Kage passed through Tobi's mind. If it were to happen, it would be the perfect opportunity to either declare his war or get them to cooperate with his demand for the remaining Jinchūriki. After Sasuke had been duped by Killer Bee, he needed to make sure to take his vengeful clansmen with him to the Kage Summit. If Danzo was going to become Hokage, then it'd be another way to get Sasuke to remain loyal to Tobi.

Kisame was heard exiting the cavern they had occupied, leaving Tobi and Zetsu alone.

 **"What's the plan now, Tobi?"** questioned Black Zetsu.

"As I said; keep tabs on the decision of the next Hokage and then get back to me. I need to find my wayward clansmen before he does something reckless again," Tobi replied before he vanished in a distortion of space-time.

* * *

Naruto stood inside of the empty Hokage Office, staring out its windows and observing the villagers hard at work. Despite what had happened, the Hidden Leaf was staying strong and banding together to rebuild the homes they had lost.

Crops could be replanted and regrown, homes could be rebuilt; but human life? That was something _far_ more precious, and Naruto was grateful to Nagato that he had restored so many lives. Looking to the sky, he allowed a smile to form as he whispered, "I hope you've finally found the peace you dreamed of, Nagato…"

The door opened behind him, and he turned to see Kakashi walking in with his infamous eye-smile. "So…how does it feel to finally call this _your_ office?"

Naruto looked down at that, still not believing that the Daimyo had decided to appoint _him_ as the temporary Hokage. "I'm…not sure, sensei. Part of me is excited about it…"

 _"And you should be, ttebane! You've earned it in my eyes!"_ Kushina spoke up, beyond happy for her son.

"But…?" Kakashi pressed.

"…I'm not sure if I'm ready for it. I mean, I don't really know how to lead people. I've never even led a team. How can the Daimyo expect me to lead a village?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, stepping up to Naruto to put a hand on his shoulder. "Most leaders aren't _ready_ for the position given to them, Naruto. But, good leaders know their faults and when to ask others for help. If you need anything, you can always ask your friends or other ninja to give you a hand or some advice." His eye-smile returned as he added, "You can also ask me too…Hokage-sama."

Blue eyes widened slightly at the title before a smile formed on Naruto's face. "Yeah… Thanks, sensei."

"Anytime, Naruto. Now, there are some ninja from the Hidden Cloud here to speak with whoever is in charge. You want me to let them in now?"

Taking a breath, Naruto moved around the desk and slowly sat down in the seat behind it. Nodding once, he replied, "Go ahead."

Nodding back, the Copy Ninja opened the door and escorted the three Cloud Ninja into the office, the three of them looking slightly surprised at someone so young in the Kage chair. The blonde composed herself fastest and gave Naruto a short bow. "Hokage-sama, we bring you a message from our Raikage."

Taking the scroll offered to him, Naruto opened it on his desk and started to look through it. Kakashi, who was acting as his guard, saw his blue eyes narrow the more he read. "Sasuke went after your Jinchūriki, huh? I was…hoping he'd get some sense and come back home. I guess that was just wishful thinking…"

 _"I still can't believe that Itachi-kun killed his entire clan and Mikoto-chan,"_ Kushina spoke up with a frown. _"There has to be something more to this. Grill those elders about it later, Naruto-kun."_

Mentally nodding, he closed up the scroll and regarded his fellow blonde. "I'll be sure to attend this Kage Summit that the Raikage has convened. As for information on Sasuke, there isn't much I can give you since the last contact we had with him was months ago. All I can tell you is that he's good with Fire Style, Lightning Style, kenjutsu, and even genjutsu. I can only assume that he gained the Mangekyō Sharingan since it was confirmed that he killed Itachi Uchiha."

Samui nodded at his information. "Yes, he was seen producing black fire during his fight with Killer Bee-sama."

"Amaterasu," Kakashi informed the others. "It's an ability that the Mangekyō has. It proves that Sasuke is only growing stronger."

"Stronger or not," Naruto spoke up, sounding reluctant, "it doesn't excuse what he's done. We…" He took a breath, looking visibly upset, "We need to declare him an international criminal to be brought back to the Hidden Leaf to stand trial. He was from our village, so we will be responsible for enforcing his punishment. Please let the Raikage know of my decision."

Samui nodded once. "I will. Also, you should know that the Kage are each allowed up to two ninja to accompany them to the Summit. It is set for the end of the week in Iron Country."

"I understand. Tell him that I'll meet him there, and thank you for delivering his message."

Samui, Karui, and Omoi all bowed to him before they were escorted out of the office. Kakashi turned to Naruto, who was leaning his forehead into his hand in frustration. "It's not easy to make these kinds of decisions."

"I know that now, sensei. But…if it means I can keep my home and people I love safe, then I'll do whatever I can. In the meantime, I need to find someone to look after things while I'm away at this Kage Summit."

"Anyone in mind?"

"Yeah. I was thinking either Shikaku or Shikamaru. They're both smart enough to handle things and keep up the rebuilding efforts." He then perked up and said, "Hey sensei, can you send a message to Tazuna explaining our situation? We could really use his help, y'know?"

Kakashi smiled at Naruto's request. "Good idea. I'll have a messenger team sent right away."

"Send messages to Spring Country and the Crescent Moon Kingdom too. I'm sure they'd be willing to help us out," Naruto added, earning a nod from the Jonin.

 _'More like be willing to help_ you _out, Naruto. After all, you're the one who instilled such change in Wave, Spring, and Crescent Moon,'_ the man thought proudly as he left to send the messages.

Now alone, Naruto gave off a tired sigh and turned his chair around to look out the windows once again. "…I'm temporary Hokage," he muttered to himself, still in disbelief.

 _"You'll grow into it, Naruto-kun. Your father was the same way when he was nominated for Hokage. Just do what you think is best and ask for help if you ever need it."_

 _'Yeah… Thanks, mom.'_

 _"Anytime, sweetheart. Now, take this time to have someone bring that Hinata girl here. I think it's time you both had that talk."_

He swallowed a lump in his throat before he nodded to himself. "Cat?" he hesitantly asked aloud, prompting a violet-haired ANBU wearing said mask to appear in a blur.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Could you have someone bring Hinata here, please? I…need to talk with her privately."

"Is everything alright?" she asked, showing concern. She and a small team of hers had been responsible for looking after him when he was a boy, so she felt some protectiveness for the blonde before her; whether that boy was now the Hokage or not.

"Yeah. I just really need to talk to her and clear up some things. Can you bring her here?"

She gave a bow and replied, "Right away, sir," before she blurred out of sight.

Turning back to the window, he watched as the light slowly changed to dusk, covering the village in a beautiful glow. "Let's hope things will get better soon…"

* * *

 **Before anyone asks; yes, this is a Naruto/Hinata story. Before you all get upset, please hear me out.**

 **I started writing on this sight way back in 2012, and I was a member since 2011. You want to know what got me to** _ **start**_ **writing? It was a NaruHina story that I fell in love with and thought, "Hey, I can try that too!"**

 **And so, I did; and the result was my very first story called "Bonds of the Uzumaki". Compared my current works, it was amateur; but it was something I was proud of because I was able to display my own creativity and make a story with a pairing I absolutely loved.**

 **Now, I'll admit that NaruHina stories are done to death nowadays. However, I wanted to pay respect to the pairing that I fell in love with; the pairing that got me started here on FanFiction. And this story is my way of paying respect.**

 **As you can see, I'm doing things that are (inevitably) cliché, but I'm also trying to make this story stand out from others. Again, I only ask that you give this story and its future chapters a chance.**

 **One last thing: please note that I borrowed a little bit from "Hokage's Will" by _Airheaded dude_. Thanks for the inspiration and story.**

 **Until (hopefully) next time,**

 **pain17ification**


	2. Chapter 2: Talks of Different Sorts

**Well, I'm glad that my initial fears were unfounded for this story's first chapter. I honestly thought that another NaruHina story would simply be brushed aside as nothing; but, you guys honestly seem interested and were nice enough to ease my concerns.**

 **So, thank you guys. I appreciate it very much.**

 **Now, how about we get onto the next chapter, ne?**

 **Disclaimer: The source materials used in this FanFiction do not belong to me. This story is a nonprofit creation solely used for entertainment purposes.**

 **(-)**

 _Because I Love You_

 _Chapter 2: Talks of Different Sorts_

 **(-)**

Hinata wiped some sweat forming on her forehead as she helped her fellow Leaf Ninja carry stacks of supplies. The supplies in question were tools and materials needed for repairing buildings, and the location in question was a district of the village that had suffered considerable damage from Pein's attack. Not close enough to be destroyed, but not far enough to be ignored.

"Thanks for helping me out, Hinata," Choji said to her as he dropped another stack of supplies next to hers. "The others have been really busy in other districts, so I wasn't expecting to have any of my friends here to help."

She smiled at the larger Chunin. "It's no problem, Choji. It's the least I could do, considering what's happened."

He nodded solemnly, taking a moment to look over the damage done to their village before smiling at the sight of everyone lending a helping hand; civilian and ninja alike. "We may have been dealt a heavy blow, but we're still here. It's amazing that Naruto was able to take down that Pein guy when the village couldn't."

"Naruto-kun didn't do it alone, though. He had help from the Toads and the village helped wear Pein down."

Choji grinned at that. "Yeah, we did. Y'know, I feel better about my efforts now that you've said that. I was thinking that I could've done more; but, at least I helped make that guy easier for Naruto." He then turned to her and asked, "What was it like to fight him up close? I heard that you rushed in at some point to help Naruto."

He saw her look down at that, almost in shame. "I couldn't do anything against him… Everything I threw at him was brushed aside like nothing…and I wound up dying."

He choked at that. "Y-You…died?"

She nodded sadly. "Yes…" She then raised her head determinedly. "But, Naruto-kun helped give me another chance, and I'm not going to waste it. I'll get stronger so that I won't get in the way anymore; so that I could stand shoulder to shoulder with him…"

He blinked at that before smiling. "Yeah… Me too."

She smiled back at her friend before an ANBU wearing a Cat mask made herself known. "Hyuuga-san, the acting Hokage needs a word with you in his office."

"Acting Hokage?" Choji asked. "What happened to Tsunade-sama?"

"She's still recovering, but not in a position to lead the village in her condition. As such, a stand-in Hokage was chosen to oversee things until she recovers," Cat answered, knowing that this information would be made public soon.

"I'll head over there now, Cat-san," Hinata told the ANBU before she took off.

Cat gave Choji a farewell nod before she vanished, returning to her post in the Hokage Office. Left alone, Choji sighed to himself before rolling his shoulders. "Back to work, I guess."

 **(-)**

Naruto was looking over the damage report for the village, frowning sadly at what needed to be fixed or replaced. So many people without homes, and yet the village remained united. That made him regain his smile, feeling immense pride for his village.

"Boar," he called out, and a heavily built ANBU appeared in a knelt position in response. "Inform Shikaku-san about this upcoming Kage Summit. Tell him that I plan to leave him and Shikamaru in charge of things in my absence."

"Yes, sir," Boar bid before leaving.

"Rabbit," Naruto continued, and a petite ANBU responded. "I want you to assign a small squadron to keep an eye on Tsunade at all times. She's vulnerable, and I'm worried that Shizune-nee will overwork herself."

"At once, Hokage-sama," she replied before leaving to do her assigned task.

"Mantis, I want you to inform the Mission Control to assign smaller reconstruction assignments to Genin while Chunin will handle more difficult assignments. I need the Jonin to take on missions outside of the village to bring in funds while the ANBU remain here for security."

Nodding silently, the average-sized ANBU left to fulfill his Hokage's order.

Alone in the office, Naruto took a breath to help calm his nerves. "Geez… I'm still not used to ordering people around…"

 _"It'll come to you with time. Minato-kun was the same way when he was Hokage."_ Kushina was heard fighting a laugh in his mind. _"I remember watching him try to order a couple of his ANBU one time. He was so nervous that they couldn't help but snicker as he gave the order, which made your father so embarrassed!"_

Naruto fought his own chuckle at the mental image of his father awkwardly ordering the elite members of the village militia. _'Let's hope that I don't have a moment like he did.'_

 _"You'll be fine, dear. Just relax and do what you feel needs to be done."_

Mentally nodding to her, he barely flinched when he felt Cat's chakra moments before she arrived in his office. "She's on her way, sir."

"Thank you, Cat. I've assigned jobs to the others, so I'd like for you to stay here."

"Of course, sir. Acting leader or not, I'm ready to protect you."

He smiled at her gratefully. "I know. You helped watch over me when I was younger; so, I trust you to have my back."

She nodded once before taking her hidden position in the office. A couple of minutes passed before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Naruto bid, trying to calm his nerves as Hinata opened the door and froze in surprise at where he was sitting. He gave her a small smile and gestured to the chair across from his desk. "Have a seat, please."

She had many emotions dancing across her face as she took the offered seat; confusion, happiness, worry, anxiety, and pride. "Y-You're acting Hokage?"

He chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head the way that always endeared her. "Yeah… It took me by surprise too; but, I've been chosen by Daimyo-sama to stand-in for Tsunade during her recovery." He smiled softly as his gaze lost focus. "I guess I finally achieved my dream, huh? Even if it's only temporarily."

"Temporarily or not," she replied, getting him to focus on her again, "you deserve the position, Naruto-kun. You've done so much for the village, and you're one of the strongest ninja I know." She smiled at him as she finished softly, "Congratulations."

He blushed slightly at her smile, finally noticing how beautiful the girl he once called _weird_ had become. A bashful smile formed on his face as he said, "Thanks."

 _"Aw! You're acting as shy as she used to be!"_ Kushina teased, referring to the memories Naruto had let her see of his life. All of the memories of Hinata showed her adorable shyness; adorable to Kushina, at least. Her son was too oblivious to notice things like that.

He was able to keep his blush from growing at his mother's teasing, clearing his throat to compose himself. "There are a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about, Hinata. They're all connected, though; so, it shouldn't take too long."

"Okay," she replied, slightly nervous.

"First off, I never got the chance to thank you for helping me when I was pinned down by Pein. You literally risked your life for mine, giving it up for my sake." He looked somber at his words. "I'd never want someone to do that for me; but, I'm still…glad that someone was _willing_ to."

"Of course, I was willing to," she responded, her voice firm. "Your life was worth the risk, Naruto-kun…"

"…Because you love me?" he asked softly, making her immediately blush and shrink in on herself slightly. "Hinata… How long have you felt this way about me?"

She started to fiddle with her fingers; an old habit from her younger years when she was wracked with nerves.

"Please," Naruto urged, his voice still soft. "I need to know."

"…Since we were kids," she admitted in a whisper that he barely heard. "Ever since the day you stood up for me from those bullies. It was during winter, and you had your scarf taken and ripped by them; but, you still stood up for me for no other reason than because it was who you are."

He tried to recall that memory, and Kushina helped by bringing it out for him to see. "I remember that day," he said fondly, chuckling to himself. "I tried to make a Clone to scare them off, but it ended up doing the opposite."

She smiled at him. "Despite that, you still helped me, and I saw that you were nothing like everyone had said you were. You were brave, and kind, and I couldn't stop thinking about you." She looked down again, her smile remaining. "Do you remember that day when Iruka had us write down the name of someone we wanted to spend our last day with?"

"Vaguely because I complained about how pointless it was since I didn't really have anyone," he answered before realization struck. "You don't mean…"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yes… I wrote down your name," she admitted with a ruby red blush. "I couldn't think of anyone else that I'd want to be with."

"Not even your family?" he asked, shocked at her confession.

Shaking her head, Hinata answered, "My father had changed over the years since my mother passed, becoming so cold and distant. Hanabi was too young, and Neji still despised me at the time. I couldn't think of anyone until I remembered what you did for me; so, I wrote down your name."

"Hinata…" he whispered, feeling a mix of happiness and sadness at her words. He was happy to have someone thinking so highly of him at that age, but he was sad for her and her home life. "I'm touched," he finally finished, speaking truthfully. "Thank you…"

She smiled in return, shaking her head at him. "I should be thanking you for everything you've done for me, Naruto-kun. You helped when I was younger, cheered for me during the Chunin Exams, made an oath on my blood, helped me restore my relationship with my cousin, and continuously act as an inspiration for me. I can never repay you for all that you've done…"

"Yes, you can," he insisted. "You _have_ , actually. Because of you, I was able to break out of Pein's hold; even if I nearly lost myself to the Kyuubi."

She looked concerned now. "You what?"

He rose a hand to stop her from freaking out. "Relax, I was able to fight it back…with some help."

She tilted her head with a confused face. "Who helped you?"

 _"Naruto,"_ Kushina spoke up, making him pause. _"Let me talk with her; but send out Cat. Something like this is definitely need-to-know."_

Mentally nodding, Naruto made a gesture and Cat revealed herself; much to Hinata's surprise. "Cat, give us a moment, please? And make sure no one comes in until I call you back in."

While concerned for him, Cat nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama," she bid before she left the office and stood outside the door.

Hinata turned back to him, looking lost. "Give me a second," Naruto requested before he summoned a Shadow Clone using Kushina's chakra. Instead of a copy of himself, a perfect replica of the redheaded woman appeared from the burst of smoke. "Hinata…meet my mother, Kushina."

She blinked in surprise while Kushina stretched in her temporary body, giving a small groan when some of the joints popped. "It's been awhile since I had a physical body, ttebane," she grumbled.

"Your…mother?" Hinata repeated.

"Yes. My parents died the night I was born; but they both put some of their chakra and consciousness into the seal that holds back the Kyuubi. Originally, they were only supposed to show up under certain circumstances; the seal almost breaking in my father's case."

"But, I showed up alongside Minato-kun so that I could help my son," Kushina continued. "It was a gamble with minimal risk, but it worked out and I can now stay with my son indefinitely."

Frowning thoughtfully, Hinata activated her Byakugan and studied both Naruto's and Kushina's chakra cores. She looked over everything, comparing them to one another before she finally caught what was happening. In shocked realization, she deduced, "She's siphoning some chakra from the Kyuubi to keep her core from fading out."

Kushina smirked at her while Naruto looked impressed. "Smart girl," Kushina praised, making the heiress blush again. "Yes, I'm using the fur-ball's chakra to stay _alive_. Currently, I'm _living_ in a separate part of Naruto's seal away from the Kyuubi. Just like how Naruto can draw on its chakra, he can also draw on mine so long as it doesn't drain me dry."

"That's…incredible," Hinata whispered, awed at what Kushina's gamble had done for Naruto's benefit.

"I know, right?" Kushina agreed, pride in her voice.

"Okay, mom," Naruto deadpanned. "No need to get a swelled head…"

"You're one to talk, ttebane!" she pouted in response, huffing with her arms crossed.

"Oi! I like to think I'm _confident_ , not big-headed, ttebayo!" he fired back, crossing his own arms.

Hinata looked back and forth between the two Uzumaki before, unable to take it anymore, she giggled at their antics. "You two are definitely mother and son," she spoke between her giggles, making them look at her before rubbing their heads sheepishly.

Kushina recomposed herself first, giving Hinata a serious look. "There's something I want to make absolutely clear before I let you two get back to your talk."

"Y-Yes…?" Hinata replied nervously, being reminded that this was _Naruto's_ mother.

Kushina kept her stare aimed at Hinata, staying silent and making both her and Naruto grow nervous. Then, in a blink, she smiled and asked, "Do you really love my son?"

Hinata didn't expect that from the woman, almost expecting some sort of threat. Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she looked the woman in the eye and nodded. "Yes… I do."

Naruto looked to her in surprise, still not used to hearing someone say that about him. Kushina, on the other hand, had her smile soften at the Hyuuga princess. "Good," she said simply, throwing Hinata for a loop. "It's such a relief to see someone feel so strongly about my son; considering the life he had. I'm glad that he has someone like you in his life." Her smile turned somber as she finished, "For Jinchūriki like us," she gestured to herself and Naruto, "it's hard to find a lasting relationship; whether it's a friendly or romantic one."

Hinata looked to her sadly, taking a glance at Naruto as he sat in his chair with his own somber expression. Turning back to Kushina, with lavender eyes brimming in determination, Hinata promised, "I'll be sure to stay by Naruto-kun's side, then. I love him…and even if he doesn't feel the same, I'll never stop being his friend. In his own words," she aimed a soft smile at the blonde, "he's my precious person."

Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat at her words, feeling touched by them and guilty about not know how he really felt about Hinata. "Hinata, I…" he tried to say, but she rose a hand to stop him.

"I know you probably don't feel that way; but, I wanted you to know how I feel and see if we might have a chance. And like I said, if it doesn't work out…then I'll always be your friend." She smiled sadly at that, and both Uzumaki knew that it would hurt her if it came down to that.

He didn't respond immediately, sharing a quick glance with his mother. She smiled at her child, seeing him look as scared and vulnerable as a small boy; a small boy she never got to raise. _'I'm here for him now,'_ she promised to herself as she gave Naruto a small nod.

He smiled back at her before turning to Hinata. "Well…if you want, we could…get some ramen together later?" he suggested, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

This was so different from all the times he asked Sakura out when they were younger; and he realized that it's because asking out Hinata felt much more genuine. With Sakura, it had become a routine; something he took some comfort in because it was regular and every day. With Hinata, though, he was stepping into uncharted territory. He didn't really know her while she knew more about him, and she loved him while he wasn't sure how deeply he cared for her.

It was a fear of the unknown; something that anyone would be afraid of.

Hinata eased his nerves when she smiled back at him, a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks. "I'd like that, Naruto-kun…"

Both young adults were unaware that Kushina had excused herself, returning to the seal and conjuring up some popcorn to eat as she watched the exchange through Naruto's point of view. With a silent squeal, she mentally gushed, ' _This is just like a soap opera!'_ (1)

The moment was ruined when a knock came from the door, and Cat's voice was heard saying, "Hokage-sama, Homura-sama and Koharu-sama are here to speak with you."

Within the seal, Kushina crushed the bag of popcorn irritably. _'Damn old farts ruining the moment between my son and future daughter-in-law!'_ she mentally raged as her hair threatened to start floating.

Naruto gave Hinata a glance before gesturing to the window. She nodded in understanding, moving over to it and opening it to leave. Just before she left, she bit her lip before gathering her courage and kissed Naruto on the cheek before rushing out with her face glowing red.

Whiskered cheeks blushed faintly at the soft kiss before Kushina mentally bopped him on the head to get him to focus; though, she fought another squeal at the sweet act Hinata had done at the last second.

Clearing his throat, Naruto replied, "Let them in, Cat." The door opened, and the ANBU led the two Elders into the office while Naruto nodded to her in thanks. "You may resume your post, Cat."

"Yes, sir," she replied before she vanished from sight, leaving Naruto seemingly alone with the retired ninja.

Steepling his hands together, much like the late Third Hokage had done countless times from memory, Naruto asked, "What can I do for two of the village Elders?"

"We've just received word that you spoke with a team of Hidden Cloud Ninja," Homura spoke up.

"I did," Naruto confirmed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"As the advisors of the Hokage, we should've been present for the meeting between them," Koharu explained.

"Why? What they had to say wasn't something I couldn't handle alone. Besides, Kakashi-sensei was with me and I trust his council." Naruto mentally thanked his mother for helping him with the more sophisticated words.

 _"No problem, son."_

"What did they speak with you about, then?" Koharu pressed.

"You know, for _advisors,_ you sure seem to think you could demand I tell you anything. If I needed your advice on the matter spoken, I would've came to you and spoken with you both privately. Also, I wouldn't have just barged into your office or demanded your guards to let me speak with you; much like you both did with Cat," Naruto mused with narrowed eyes, making the Elders see the ghost of Minato making the same expression beside Naruto.

"Naruto," Homura began, speaking calmly, "as your advisors, we need to help you understand the finer points of being the Hokage. It isn't just about sitting in that chair or wearing the hat and cloak."

"You think I don't know that?" Naruto challenged with a raised brow. "I understand – probably more than anyone – the weight that comes with this position; even if I'm only temporarily holding it. The Hokage does what is best for the village, guiding it and keepings its leaves from scattering in the winds of pain or anguish." He frowned at them. "If you two _really_ need to hear what was discussed, it was about Sasuke being confirmed as a member of the Akatsuki when he went after the Jinchūriki of the Hachibi. Because of this, I know that there wasn't much of a choice other than to label him an international criminal; however, I requested for the Cloud Ninja to inform the Raikage that I'd like Sasuke's sentence to be issued and carried out in the Leaf. Like it or not, we were responsible for him, and for his actions. We must accept the consequences of that responsibility."

The two looked stunned at what he had said, both believing that the young Uzumaki would've argued in favor of Sasuke until his last breath. To hear that he had declared someone he constantly declared his _friend_ a criminal on an international scale showed that Naruto actually _was_ taking his position – however temporary – seriously and was giving it his full effort.

"Now, if that's all you needed…?" Naruto asked.

"There's something else," Koharu spoke up. "We believe that someone else should go to the Kage Summit."

He raised a brow at them again. "Funny how you don't beat around the bush for that and tried to string me along when it came to Sasuke. In response to your _council_ , I will decline. I'm going to that Summit, and I'm going to let the other Kage know everything our village has done in response to the Akatsuki threat." Standing up, Naruto moved around his desk so that he could stand directly in front of the two Elders. "I'm not a child for you to coddle, and I'm not going to be a figurehead leader when it was _my_ efforts that helped revive everyone this village had lost. Now, please leave my office so that I can refocus on the reconstruction efforts; something _you_ should be assisting in if you really are acting in the best interests of the village."

Koharu bristled at the blonde's words and tone, but Homura calmed her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Turning to the Uzumaki, he bowed and left while Koharu grudgingly did the same.

Once they were gone, Naruto sighed tiredly and shook his head in disappointment. "They need to get their priorities straight. The village is a mess and their more focused on making sure I'm listening to what they want done."

He didn't receive an answer, which made him chuckle.

"You can speak your mind, Cat. It's pretty awkward to complain to myself when I _know_ that someone else in here with me."

Appearing yet again, the ANBU stood before the blonde for a moment. "Permission to remove my mask?"

"Of course, you can. I'd rather talk to you face-to-face, anyway."

Removing the mask, the face of Yugao was revealed to the blonde Uzumaki. "I think that they believe their wisdom overshadows your position, Naruto. They've been advising Lord Third for years, so they probably got used to the influence they had as Hokage Advisors."

"Figures… I finally become the Hokage, and there are still people who want to hide me away and control things."

"For what it's worth," Yugao continued, "I think you're doing a great job so far. You've delegated the missions nicely, have sent word to our allies for aid and supplies, and are making sure that both the village _and_ Tsunade-sama are both well protected. Not to mention that you're leaving to hopefully find a final solution for the Akatsuki at this Kage Summit." She smiled at him, reaching over to tussle his hair affectionately. "Keep it up, Hokage-sama."

Naruto smiled at her words. "I'll keep giving this job my all." He suddenly perked up and bit his thumb before going through the necessary signs for the Summoning Jutsu.

From the smoke, a familiar old toad appeared on his desk. "Naruto-boy, what is it?" Fukasaku questioned before he took a moment to look around. "Oho! Finally became the Hokage, eh? Ma and I had a feeling you would, boyo."

He chuckled bashfully at that. "Thanks. There was something I needed from you though, Pa."

"And what's that?"

"I still have a couple of clones at Myoboku, right?"

"Aye, that you do. You know you can dispel them on your own, though."

"Yeah, but I want you to summon one as close to the border between Fire Country and the Hidden Rain," Naruto requested.

"The Hidden Rain? What in the world do you want to send a clone over there for?" Fukasaku asked with a raised brow.

"I want my clone to get in touch with Konan. There are some things she needs to know, and I also need to ask her a huge favor." He took a breath and prepared himself for the backlash as he finished, "I also wanted to let her sign the Toad Contract."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Easy! Hear me out, Pa!" Naruto cried, stopping the old toad from going on a rant. "She's no longer a member of the Akatsuki, and she used to be Jiraiya-sensei's student. She and I are the last two people alive who've been taught by him, and I want her to share some link with him."

Fukasaku pondered this, grumbling to himself incoherently as he considered the request of his student in senjutsu. After a while, he sighed and nodded once. "Very well then, Naruto-boy. I'll have one of our messenger toads summon your clone near the border. Just have them summon me when they get in contact with Konan, and we'll take it from there."

Smiling, Naruto gave the senior Sage a bow in thanks. "I appreciate it, Pa."

"Bah, enough bowing already. Respect, I like; but, you and I both know that you hate to stand on ceremony." He smirked at the blonde and finished, "I prefer seeing who you are than who you can pretend to be."

With that said, Fukasaku returned home and Naruto smiled at his success. With that out of the way, he returned to looking over the village so that he could continue to delegate the repair efforts.

 **(-)**

A couple days had passed, and Naruto found himself constantly busied by the recovery efforts and with catching up with the foreign friends he had made over the years. Tazuna and Inari had both come to help rebuild some homes and patch up some of the damaged buildings while Tsunami stayed in Wave to look after things.

Finding out that the old drunkard had become the spokesperson and unofficial leader of their small town had been a surprise for the blonde.

Koyuki had come as well, traveling with her guards and aides so that she could personally deliver the supplies that Naruto had requested. She was surprised to see him wearing the Hokage robes, but she was also proud that he had achieved the dream he had declared when she first met him. Her presence, oddly enough, also boosted morale in the village since she was famous before she became a Daimyo of a country. Many young men and women hoped to impress her by showing off their work ethic; something she didn't dissuade since it helped the village and Naruto in the long run.

King Michiru had to stay home at the Crescent Moon Islands, so he sent his son Hikaru to deliver the supplies and catch up with Naruto. Seeing the once spoiled child stepping into his own as the new Prince of the kingdom made Naruto chuckle, proud that he had gotten through to the young man and helped change him for the better.

Currently it was evening, and Naruto was walking through the city streets where his fellow villagers greeted him warmly; some even congratulating him on his temporary position. The Daimyo's decision about Naruto leading the village during Tsunade's recovery had been made public the day before; mere hours before the man returned to the capital. The village had shown their acceptance of Naruto through their cheers, relieved that they were being looked after by the very man that had saved them from an international terrorist.

Naruto was happy that he had been accepted, but a small part of him felt bitter that it took him stopping Nagato to finally be accepted fully by the villagers. After everything he had done, it took the village nearly losing everyone for them to open their eyes and see that he wasn't the Kyuubi in human skin.

 _"Sweetheart, I know that it seems unfair, but you can't dwell on what's already happened. Believe me, it isn't healthy, and it will only hurt you more in the long run."_

 _'I know, mom… It still hurts, though…'_

 _"It will hurt, yes; but, you're an Uzumaki. We take the hits and keep on going, no matter what. That's what makes us strong."_

He smiled at her comfort, refocusing on the outside just in time to see that he was almost at Ichiraku Ramen. His stomach growled and he was about to walk in before he felt a familiar chakra source. Looking behind him, he saw that Hinata was walking with her younger sister down the road; a small bag being held by the younger Hyuuga as she talked with her older sibling.

Heading over to them, he was spotted first by Hanabi as he greeted, "Hey, Hinata. Hello, Hanabi."

Hanabi nodded in greeting while Hinata turned around and smiled. "Good evening, Naruto-kun. Finished for the day?"

"Yeah, but I'll be back at it again tomorrow. Who knew that recovering a village took so much effort?"

"It's to be expected after what happened. But, everyone is giving it their best and the village should be back on its feet soon enough."

"That's true," Naruto agreed with a pleased grin. "We just need to keep up the hard work."

Hinata nodded in agreement before she gestured Hanabi to come forward. "Naruto-kun, you remember my sister Hanabi, right?"

"Vaguely," Naruto admitted. "I remember hearing her complaining about how I beat Neji when the Chunin Exams were over."

Hanabi fought an embarrassed blush at the reminder, but she coughed to save face. "For the record, I wasn't _complaining_ ; I was simply pointing out that Neji should've been the victor that day."

"Yeah, but in a way that younger children like to do when something doesn't go their way," Naruto teased, and Hanabi couldn't fight off her blush that time while Hinata stifled a giggle.

Pointing at the blonde dramatically, Hanabi cried out, "I was _not_ acting like a child! I was acting as a proper heiress would; with class and dignity!"

"So…yelling at me with a red face is _classy_ and _dignified_?"

The grin he had when he asked that made Hanabi's face turn redder. Luckily for her, she was saved by her sister. "It was nice seeing you, Naruto-kun. However, Hanabi and I need to get back home."

Naruto nodded in understanding and bid them a good night before a mental nudge from Kushina reminded him of something. "Hey, Hinata," he called out, making the sisters stop and turn around, "do you maybe want to grab a bowl of ramen with me? I'm buying."

She blushed faintly before turning to Hanabi with a pleading expression. Hanabi rose a brow with a knowing smile before she sighed exaggeratedly. "I suppose I'll cover for you with father. You owe me, though."

Hinata gave her sister a beautiful smile before she headed back over to her crush. Watching them go, Hanabi smiled for her sister, having known about how she felt for the blonde knucklehead for years and trying to help her work up the nerve to talk to him. They may have had a rough start at first in regards to their sibling relationship, but they had reconnected over the years and – much like Hinata wanted her to be happy – Hanabi wanted the best for her sister.

Walking away, Hanabi mused aloud, "You'd better make her happy, Naruto-san. I wouldn't mind calling you _big brother_ in the future."

 **(-)**

The following morning, Naruto was seen in the Hokage Office once again, this time with Shikamaru and Kakashi in the room with him. "So, it's agreed that Shikamaru will keep the reconstruction going with his dad stepping in if need be," Naruto concluded.

"Troublesome… Yeah, I'll make sure everything goes smoothly," the Nara heir grumbled before he chuckled. "It'll be good practice for when your position becomes official in the future."

Naruto chuckled with him, giving his friend a nod. Shikamaru was one of the few people who never looked down on his aspirations. In fact, the Chunin had even said that he'd be willing to become Naruto's advisor and aide when he finally became Hokage.

"Now, as for the Summit," Naruto continued, "I'm allowed to take two escorts with me. I've decided to take Kakashi-sensei as one of them."

"Me, huh?" he repeated with interest before giving his signature eye-smile. "I'll watch your back, then."

Nodding to the man, Naruto mentally debated his second choice. _'What do you think, mom?'_

 _"I don't see why not. This will give you both more opportunities to talk with one another; plus, she_ has _shown some impressive strength and determination from what I've seen."_

Mentally nodding, Naruto decided, "I'll have Hinata come as my second escort."

"Hinata?" Shikamaru repeated with a raised brow. "Why her?"

"She's become much stronger over the years, and she showed that strength when she came to my side during my fight with Pein. Plus, she's probably pretty familiar with political talks like this and could give me some pointers while we're on the road."

 _"Nice reason!"_ Kushina cheered, having forgotten about that.

The Nara considered the reason before shrugging. "Can't really argue with you there," he relented. "But, there are probably other people with just as much experience."

"People I haven't really worked with," Naruto shot down calmly. "I'm familiar with how Hinata fights, so I could come up with strategies in case things go wrong."

"Fair enough, boss," Shikamaru replied with a teasing smirk.

Kakashi spoke up, "I assume we're leaving tomorrow, then?"

Nodding Naruto looked at the map spread out on his desk. "Yeah, that would let us arrive with about a day to spare. Plus, that extra day could come in handy in case there's a setback of some kind on the way to Iron Country."

"Good call," the Jonin noted. "Well, I'll get ready to go then."

" _Please_ don't be late this time, sensei," Naruto deadpanned, earning an awkward chuckle from the man as he left.

 _"It's still strange how he's honoring Obito's memory by doing that,"_ Kushina mused.

Shikamaru stood up and stretched briefly before giving a yawn. "Well, I'm going to catch a few clouds before I meet up with my old man. Good luck at the meeting, Naruto."

"I'll make sure the other Kage get the message about the Akatsuki. Hopefully, we can all come up with something."

Nodding, the Nara opened the door to leave but blinked when he saw Sakura preparing to knock. Standing aside, he let his fellow Chunin enter before leaving. Mentally, he hoped Naruto was ready to deal with the pinkette; especially when news of Sasuke's actions and criminal status had been passed around through the ninja forces.

Naruto looked up from his work and raised a brow at his teammate's presence. "Something you needed, Sakura?"

She took a breath before frowning at him. "I want you to remove Sasuke-kun's criminal status."

The Uzumaki sighed, not ready to deal with this. "Have a seat, Sakura…"

Still frowning, she took the offered seat and prepared to have a talk with her Kage of a teammate.

 **(-)**

A cloud of smoke was quickly dispelled by the drops of rain as a familiar blonde was seen, wearing a full-body cloak and hood that shadowed his yellow eyes. The bar-shaped pupils observed his surroundings briefly before he slowly walked down the rain-soaked hill and towards the massive towers and buildings in the distance.

Getting in was rather simple, and he walked aimlessly with the hope of finding the rumored Angel of God. He sighed to himself at the title she held, being reminded of what his late clansmen had thought of himself before Naruto reminded him that he was just a man full of pain.

"C'mon, Konan," he muttered to himself. "Where the hell are you?"

A small flash of white was seen in the corner of his eye, and he turned fully to see a hand-sized origami angel floating before him. He smiled at the floating paper as he approached it.

"Konan," he began, "I need to talk to you. Please, it's important."

The origami angel flapped its wings for a few moments before it slowly glided off. Once it got a certain distance, it turned back around to face him, silently telling him to follow it. Smiling again, the blonde Uzumaki trailed after the floating paper as it led him to the top of the tallest building in the Hidden Rain.

Standing there was Konan, who had her back to him as she looked down at her village. She had forgone her red-clouded cloak and settled for a simple black one; similar to what she wore before Tobi took over the Akatsuki.

"What did you need, Naruto-san?" she asked calmly, her back still to him.

Naruto frowned sadly at her near-dead tone. "A couple things, actually," he confessed.

Turning around finally, she faced him fully and said, "Speak, then."

"First off, what did you do with Nagato's body?"

She narrowed her amber eyes at him. "I fail to see how that's any of your business."

"You're right," he agreed, making her blink. "It's not my business; but, I think he's in trouble. That Tobi guy? He's the reason why I'm the current Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi, and I can't help but think that he'll target Nagato for his Rinnegan." He frowned and continued, "Kakashi-sensei has proven that someone could use a dōjutsu without naturally having that eye; so, who's to say that Tobi can't do the same with the Rinnegan?"

She frowned at his words, painfully seeing the truth in them. "I appreciate the warning. I'll be sure to take care of it." She saw him smile at her, and she couldn't help but be grateful that he was so worried about Nagato. "What else?"

"Two more things. First, I'm going to be attending a meeting with the other Kage at Iron Country in a few days. I'll be going as acting Hokage since Tsunade is still recovering and hasn't woken up yet."

Konan frowned again, part of her feeling guilty for Naruto being put in such a position at his age. "What does this meeting have to do with me?"

"I was hoping to convince you to go so that we could have a better understanding of what Akatsuki is planning and how we could stop them. You could speak with the Kage and help us put an end to Tobi's plans."

"I don't fully know what Tobi is planning, though. It'd be a waste if I went."

"No," Naruto insisted calmly. "It wouldn't. You could help us understand the remaining members of the Akatsuki and what they're capable of. You probably know more about Tobi's abilities than the rest of the world."

She looked away from him. "…I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I won't leave the village when they need me," she argued, turning back to him heatedly.

"I'm not saying that you leave them undefended," he appeased, hands raised in hopes of calming her down. "That actually gets me to the last reason why I wanted to come here."

She kept frowning at him as he went through some handseals and summoned something small; though, she noticed that his toad-like eyes had returned to their natural blue. From the smoke came a small toad that wore a dark gray cloak and had thick brows and a goatee.

"This her, boyo?" the toad asked, earning a nod from Naruto's clone.

"Yes, this is Jiraiya-sensei's other student," he answered, making Konan's eyes widen.

Turning her gaze back to the toad, she saw him summon a large scroll and roll it open. This allowed her to see many signatures with the last three being her late sensei, the late Fourth Hokage, and Naruto's name.

"Naruto-boy felt that it was only right, as Jiraiya-boy's student, that you sign this scroll," Fukasaku explained.

She turned back to Naruto in shock, only to see him smiling at her. "You and I studied under the man, and we both inherited his dream for peace. Go ahead and sign it, Konan. This way, you could leave some toads to help you watch over the Hidden Rain."

"But I…"

"Konan," Naruto cut off, earning her full attention. "I forgive you and Nagato for what happened. It still hurts, but I know it must've hurt you as well to fight the man who helped you when you were just an orphan of war."

She took a hesitant step away from the scroll, looking noticeably afraid.

"Please," he whispered, making her stop. "I want you to have one last link to the man. Even if you won't come to the Summit, I want you to sign this…in case something happens to me. This way, you could keep the legacy of the Toad Summoners alive. Please, Konan…"

She locked her amber orbs with his blue, and she saw that his were full of forgiveness, sincerity, and hope. She couldn't look away for a few moments before Fukasaku made a sound by accidentally brushing one of his feet against the scroll. She eyed the scroll somberly, feeling guilt and shame at the mere sight of it.

Looking back to Naruto, she saw him give her a small smile as he nodded once. For some reason, this gave her the courage needed to approach the scroll and face the next empty slot. Raising her hand, she watched how it trembled slightly before she clenched it into a fist. Once the trembles stopped, she opened it once more and brought the thumb to her lips.

Biting it, she made sure it was bleeding before she slowly signed her name in the slot and left a bloody handprint. Fukasaku waited for her to finish before he nodded once.

"It's done, then," he declared. "Naruto-boy has vouched for you, so I welcome you as another Summoner of the toads. Use this chance to make it up to Jiraiya-boy."

With that said, he and the scroll vanished in another burst of smoke. When he was gone, Naruto gave Konan another smile and said, "Thank you. That's all I needed to talk to you about."

She nodded without looking at him, her gaze unfocused since Fukasaku said his parting words. She jumped when she felt him place a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to match his gaze. Her cheeks flushed against her will at the depth his blue eyes held, or at how warm his smile was.

"Think about what I said, Konan. We could really use your help for what's coming; even if I don't fully know what it is," the cloned bid, giving her one last smile before dispelling itself.

Left alone, Konan unconsciously raised a hand over her heart and gripped the cloak she was wearing. Raindrops fell on her cheeks, mixing in with her unknown tears as she whispered, "Nagato… Yahiko… What should I do?"'

 **(-)**

 **1~ I'll give a FanFiction Cookie to whoever can tell me what _other_ redheaded anime character said this line! ^_^**

 **All finished! How did it look? Were the talks believable? And what do you think Konan will do?**

 **Thanks again, everyone, for your support! I'm glad that you like this story and I hope you continue to like it!**

 **Until next time!**

 **pain17ification**


	3. Chapter 3: To the Summit

**Disclaimer: The source material used in this FanFiction do not belong to me. This story is a nonprofit creation solely used for entertainment purposes.**

 **(Start)**

 _Because I Love You_

 _Chapter 3: To the Summit_

 **(-)**

"You know that I can't take back the order against Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto told his pinkette teammate. "What he's done is something we can't ignore or let slide."

"But he-!" she tried to argue, but he beat her to the punch.

"He infiltrated another village and tried to abduct their Jinchūriki, Sakura! Open your eyes!" He was frustrated with what had happened, feeling the weight of his old promise to her bringing him down. "There is _nothing_ I can do to save him. Unless you think we should make our village an enemy of another?"

The challenging tone made her bristle. "He's our teammate! You would've been in my place if you didn't become the stupid Hokage!"

His eyes narrowed at her words. "Watch what you say about this position, Sakura. There's more to it that you will _ever_ understand."

"Like you know how to lead this place!" she sniped, her own frustrations aimed towards him. "You went on and on about becoming the Hokage, but you're still that annoying idiot even if you _are_ the Hokage!"

Naruto subtly motioned Cat to stand down, sensing her intent to apprehend the pinkette Chunin. "Okay then, Sakura. Let's try some role reversal then, shall we?"

"I'd never be as stupid as you," she scoffed.

"You may surprise yourself if you humor me," he fired back, ignoring her angered reaction to his own barb. "Let's say that Sakura Haruno was the temporary Hokage and she just heard from a Hidden Cloud team that Sasuke, someone who left the village, went after their Jinchūriki and seemingly succeeded. What would the Hokage do, hmm?"

"I'd say that they were lying," she answered immediately. "There's no way that Sasuke-kun would do that!"

"Would you say that if they provided proof?"

"They could've fabricated it!"

"What reason would they have to do that?" He fired back, growing annoyed at her delusions. "Why go to the trouble of fabricating evidence and then coming here to tell us about it? What do they have to gain from doing that?"

"They could arrest him and finish off the Uchiha! Or they could be after his Sharingan like Orochimaru was!"

"They are the Hidden Cloud, Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, his patience waning at her desperation. "Their village has the strongest military might out of _all_ the Major Five! Why should they give a damn what Sasuke Uchiha does or doesn't do if it doesn't affect them directly in some way? They've already proven that they don't need a dōjutsu like the Sharingan to be respected!" His blue eyes narrowed at her as he continued, "What, do you think Sasuke is the biggest victim in existence and you're the only one who can protect him from the 'big bad world' that's so _obviously_ out to get him?"

"You don't seem to want to help anymore, you bastard!" she cried out, tears threatening to fall.

He took a breath, hiding his hurt at the insult she threw at him and his family. "Did you forget that I was the one who convinced Tsunade not to make Sasuke a criminal in the first place? If it wasn't for me talking to her, he would've been made a criminal a long time ago."

"Sasuke-kun has suffered enough! He doesn't deserve to be labeled a criminal!" she raged.

Finally having enough, Naruto rose to his feet and slammed the palms of his hands on the desk, startling Sakura as small cracks appeared on the sturdy wooden furniture. "How long are you going to think that Sasuke can do no wrong?! He left the village and was partially responsible for the team sent after him nearly dying! He practically killed me THREE TIMES when I was trying to bring him back home!"

"But… But he was being controlled by his Curse Mark!" she tried to argue.

"Wake up, Sakura! Everyone knows that he could've resisted it! Anko Mitarashi, someone who's had that snake's brand for _years_ has resisted it and has _never_ shown any signs of being seduced or controlled by it! She's still a _loyal_ Leaf kunoichi! Sasuke had no reason to stay in the village since his only goal was to kill Itachi; not remain a ninja of the village!"

"So, you're just going to wipe your hands clean of Sasuke-kun?" she challenged through gritted teeth. "Are you going to drop the promise you made to me?"

Seeing that argument coming, Naruto couldn't help giving her a look of pity and disappointment. "There you go again," he muttered. "Playing with my emotions so that everything works out for you and Sasuke." The disappointment changed to an accusing look as he added, "Did me telling you about Sasuke almost _killing_ me just go over your head, or do you just not give a fuck? Am I not your teammate too; your friend?" His tone became a whisper as he added, "Or was I just a means to an end for you?"

She almost winced, but she was too angry with the blonde to give into her nagging guilt.

"Well, let me tell you now that I don't go back on my promises. I swore that I'd bring him back, and I will." When he saw her smirk triumphantly, he went in for the kill, "But…I never specified _how_ he'd be brought back, did I?"

Her green eyes widened in terrified realization. "Y-You can't mean…!"

"Sasuke Uchiha is a registered traitor of the Hidden Leaf and a wanted criminal on an international scale as of a few days ago thanks to his actions in the Hidden Cloud. Should he be apprehended by anyone, the order for his arrest states for him to stand trial in _this_ village. So yes, he will eventually be returned, Sakura. However, it'll either be as a prisoner in chains…or as a corpse in a body bag if people are pushed far enough." Taking a breath, he finished, "This is the order of the Hokage."

Tears welled in her eyes as she glared at him. "You were always jealous of Sasuke-kun… And now you're supporting other people killing him…" Her fists clenched, her entire body trembling as she cried out, "You're not fit to be Hokage!"

Hearing enough, Cat appeared behind the Chunin and subdued her, bringing the emotional pinkette down with her arms locked behind her and a kunai next to her throat. Teary green eyes were wide in fear at what was happening while Naruto sighed in disappointment.

"Cat… Please escort Sakura out of here. I'm done speaking with her," he sadly ordered.

"Hokage-sama, permission to speak freely?" the ANBU asked, deferring to his position purposely in front of the irate pinkette.

His brow rose slightly, but he nodded once. "Uh… Granted," he replied hesitantly.

"I strongly suggest that this _girl_ ," the woman put emphasis on how Sakura was behaving, "be apprehended and looked over by a Yamanaka. She obviously has some lingering mental issues she hasn't worked out yet; which could lead to her being a flight risk."

Sakura's eyes widened once more before she started to struggle. "I'm not having anyone look through my head, you bitch!"

"It's your call, sir," Cat finished, easily holding Sakura down.

Feeling his heart break, Naruto closed his eyes in defeat and nodded solemnly. "…See it done, Cat."

"Yes, sir," the ANBU replied, forcing Sakura to her feet to walk her out of the office.

Looking over her shoulder, Sakura gave Naruto a look filled with all her anger, betrayal, and sorrow. While she was being forced out, the pinkette hissed out, "I wish I never met you…"

Her words hurt, but he showed nothing as his ex-teammate was escorted out of the Hokage Tower. Once the door to his office closed, Naruto braced himself against the desk and clenched his eyes shut to stave off the building tears. He had thought that Sakura was a friend who had his back and would understand that Sasuke had dug himself too deep a hole to crawl out of.

But, he was wrong. She was still adamant that he was innocent and still saw him as nothing more than an idiot pretending to be the Hokage. It hurt, and he felt the Kyuubi trying to take advantage of his emotional pain; but, he fought off the influence and took a few deep breaths to recompose himself.

 _"Sweetheart…"_ Kushina tried to soothe him.

 _'Not now, mom… I need to…sort this out. I'm sorry,'_ he replied before cutting the connection. Leaving a clone to resume the work he had, he left the office in search of someplace to think.

 **(-)**

It was an hour after sunset when he was found on the carved head of his father. Pale lavender eyes observed him sorrowfully as she hesitantly walked over to him, stopping a few steps behind his seated form.

"…I'm honestly not surprised that you were the one who found me," he mused aloud, patting the ground next to him in offering.

Taking it, Hinata seated herself beside the blonde Uzumaki and regarded him in concern. "Cat-san told me that you had a…stressful talk with Sakura-san."

He gave a hollow chuckle at that. "Stressful is a fitting word for what happened…"

"Would you like to talk about it? I'm willing to listen, Naruto-kun."

"I know…" he replied, finally looking away from the village to give her a grateful look. "Sakura came to the office to try and appeal for Sasuke's actions. She's too set on bringing him home that she's ignoring everything he's done since he left three years ago. And…our talk showed me how little she really appreciated me as a teammate…or as a friend."

Her heart clenched at his words, prompting her to reach a hand out and cup his cheek. "There was nothing you could've done otherwise, Naruto-kun. Sasuke was never given criminal status when he left, and his actions kept putting our village in a negative light. Sakura-san should've realized that by now."

He gently grabbed her hand and moved it away from his face so that he could look to the village again. "You know…for as long as I can remember, I've dreamed and worked myself to the bone to become the Hokage. And now that I've reached that goal, even if it's only temporarily, I realized that even people with this kind of power or authority can still feel powerless and helpless."

Hinata adjusted her hand so that she could grip his. "Isn't that why you ask others to help you?"

"Sometimes even friends can't do anything to help you; like with this whole issue involving Sasuke. I thought he was my friend and that we could've been like brothers; but he keeps trying to sever that bond. He keeps going further and further down into the dark…and I can't do anything to help him; even though I'm acting Hokage."

She squeezed his hand to get his attention. "Don't shoulder the responsibility of someone else's mistakes, Naruto-kun. Sasuke has made his choice time and again, and you shouldn't try and become a scapegoat for his actions. It's unfair to you and it enables him; even if he doesn't know it."

He was silent at her words, thinking them over alongside his past actions concerning the Uchiha.

"Sakura must've unconsciously realized this also, because she would always turn to you when something was going to happen to Sasuke. You were unknowingly enabling him to continue being a criminal while also enabling Sakura to keep defending him."

"So…it's my fault?"

"Not fully," she assured him. "You were just desperate to hold onto the closest thing you had to brotherhood; and that desperation made you act without realizing what could happen." She locked eyes with him and smiled gently as she finished, "It was my desperation that made me jump in to try and save you; not knowing that seeing me…die…would nearly make you lose yourself to the Kyuubi."

She held up a hand to stop him from speaking, her smile never fading.

"I've accepted what happened, Naruto-kun. Please don't take that choice from me…"

He knew that she meant the choice of taking responsibility for his rage. He didn't want her to shoulder that guilt, but it only drove home what she was saying before. He unconsciously made himself responsible for keeping Sasuke "safe" over the years, which could've sent a mixed message about the Uchiha's actions.

To the outside looking in, it was almost like he was okay with Sasuke's choices and supported them by stopping any sort of punishment.

"Do you understand now?" Hinata asked softly, earning his attention again. "Sasuke must take responsibility for what he's done. You are not to blame for what he did; only for delaying his deserved punishment. But, you can make up for it now by bringing him in to face the consequences for his actions." She took a breath and concluded, "I don't want to see you tear yourself apart for him anymore, Naruto-kun; not when he's spit on everything you've done for him over the years. I refuse to let that happen anymore to someone I love."

His throat ran dry at her declaration, still unused to hearing someone state how deeply they care for him. He still had to take a moment whenever his mother said how she loved him, too.

 _"Hinata-chan has a good head on her shoulders, Naruto-kun. Listen to what she's said and keep moving forward. You don't need to worry about Sasuke anymore; not when a larger threat is still out there."_

Nodding, he replied to both women, "You're right. I can't keep trying to defend Sasuke anymore, and I need to focus on stopping Akatsuki before they hurt anyone else."

Hinata smiled at his decision. "You know that I'm here to help you, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, which is why you'll be coming with me to the Kage Summit as one of my escorts," he replied, grinning at the surprise on her face. "I would've told you earlier, but uh…" He let the statement hang and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Shaking off her surprise, she asked, "Does my father know?"

"I'll have one of the ANBU tell him and explain my decision. I'll also take a moment to speak with him personally. I'm sure he'll want to know that you'll be kept safe, after all; and I intend to make that happen."

She blushed at his declaration, her heart warming at his protectiveness for her. "I'll make sure to keep you safe too…Hokage-sama."

He made a face at the title, which caused her to giggle. "Hearing you call me that is so weird, ttebayo… Just call me _Naruto_ when we're not around important people, okay?"

Giggling again, she moved in and gently kissed his cheek like she did a few days ago in his office. When she pulled back, both had faint blushes on their faces and she smiled up at his taller form. "You'll always be _Naruto-kun_ to me…"

He slowly smiled back at her, feeling a welcoming sense of comfort around the indigo-haired woman before him. "Glad to hear that…Hinata-chan."

 **(-)**

It was just past midnight when Naruto went to speak with Hiashi concerning Hinata's position as his escort. He sat across from the older man, having explained why he felt Hinata was a valid choice. Now, he was waiting for the Hyuuga to respond.

"…"

He said nothing at first, a thoughtful look on his face as he went over Naruto's reasons.

"I promise that she'll come back safe, Lord Hiashi," Naruto declared, being respectful to the man so that he wouldn't be offended. It was something Kushina had to help him do, considering how both Uzumaki showed their _respect_ for others differently from the norm.

"…You realize that the Raikage will have a prime opportunity to take the Byakugan for the Hidden Cloud, don't you?" the Hyuuga questioned rhetorically.

"I know, which is why I've given you my word that she'll be safe. I'm not just saying that as Hokage; I'm saying this as someone who cares about her. She's one of the people that are precious to me, sir, and I already watched her nearly die once." Blue eyes blazed with confidence as he finished, "I won't let anything else happen to her."

Hiashi locked eyes with Naruto for a few moments before surprising the young Hokage with a faint smile. "She speaks highly of you, Hokage-sama. She tells me that you'll do great things as the leader of this village, and I believe I'm starting to see why she feels so strongly about it."

Naruto felt touched at Hinata's support for him, showing a small smile to the Hyuuga Head. "She noticed things about me that even I didn't know right away. I'm lucky to have support."

The man nodded once in agreement. "I'll accept your decision to include her as your escort. However, I expect you to uphold your word about her safety."

"Of course. Like I said, you have my word that she'll be safe."

"Thank you. Hinata will be ready to join you in the morning." He waited for Naruto to stand up and head for the door before he spoke up again. "They would've been proud to see you now, Naruto-san, and I'm pleased to say that you've continuously surprised me over the years. I keep seeing them within you."

Naruto kept his back to the man, his hand on the handle of the door. "…Thank you, Hiashi. I'll keep working hard and making them proud. After all," he looked over his shoulder with a smirk, "my position is only temporary right now. I still need to _fully_ earn the title of Hokage."

The man smirked back as he watched the young man leave his office.

Within his mind, Naruto heard his mother whisper, _"I'll always be proud of you, Naruto-kun…"_

 **(-)**

A few hours after sunrise found Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata ready to depart. The Jonin was dressed in his regular uniform save for a larger supply pouch strapped to the back of his belt. Considering how many high-caliber shinobi would be in Iron Country, he needed to be prepared.

Hinata forewent her normal clothes as Chunin and decided to wear the outfit she and Hanabi had bought a few days ago. The outfit consisted of a light lavender, sleeveless kimono-style blouse with vertical lines that was tied with a dark purple obi around her waist. She wore a pair of dark navy shorts with thigh-high stockings and changed her regular ninja sandals to black high-heeled boots. Finishing off the look was her headband, which was rested comfortably around her neck like usual, and a supply pouch similar in size to Kakashi's.

Lastly was Naruto, who had his mesh undershirt as usual, but over it he wore an orange, zip-down sweatshirt that was both comfortable and durable with three black stripes each on his sleeves and waistline. He also wore all black pants with the pant legs tucked into his new sandals that were equally black and stopped at his shins. Finishing off the look was the white cloak of the Hokage, along with the diamond-shaped hat with the symbol for Fire.

Behind them all was a mass congregation of citizens from the village that had come to see them off. All of them were wishing Naruto luck in this meeting of the Five Kage and asking Kakashi and Hinata to keep him safe. Without the Hero who defeated Pein, they were understandably nervous about keeping the village safe.

Naruto gave the villagers his signature grin and thumbs-up, similar to the Nice Guy pose except for the sparkle from the teeth. However, where Guy and Lee did theirs with exuberance, Naruto did his with confidence and a promise to see things through. It gave his village courage, letting them know that he would return.

With that done, the blonde Uzumaki turned to his escorts and nodded once before the trio took off into the trees.

 **(-)**

Naruto was glad that he decided to leave a day early. The extra time allowed him to talk down a group of masked shinobi that were a remnant from the Land of Woods. Apparently, Danzo and his ROOT nearly wiped out their group after they admittedly tried to betray the Hidden Leaf during a potential alliance deal.

Seeing as Naruto obviously wasn't Danzo, the group was understandably annoyed and decided to vent against him since he was the Hokage. A few Shadow Clones was all he needed to stop them, subduing them all and lining them up before him.

"Just kill us now! You think that we'll quit just because you left us to live?" yelled the leader, his tone full of hate behind his mask.

Naruto didn't move as he stared at the shinobi radiating anger and hate. "No, I don't… But I don't want the people that you love to come after me either," he replied.

This caused the leader to snarl at him. "Most of us have already lost our families to you Leaf bastards! Letting us live is only a hindrance!"

"You really think that will stop people from coming after me or people I love?" Naruto challenged, silencing them with his calm tone. "Say I kill you all now, then what? I get targeted, my friends get targeted, and innocent people get targeted. Then say that I'm killed or someone I love dies by your people. Vengeance will never die, and we will suffer through and endless cycle of anger and hate when we could just walk away now and start fresh."

"Easier for you to say," the leader growled out.

"I'll admit that it is easy to say, but it's still hard to do. There are people who have wronged me; people I could've taken my own revenge on. Instead, I've accepted that there's nothing I could've done. I confronted them, I fought them, and then I understood them before learning to forgive." He looked to the group as a whole and continued, "But, that will never happen for you if you keep doing this. Please… I'm asking you to stop this, to go home and live. I don't want this cycle to continue; not when I can do something to stop it."

The sincerity in his voice and face made them hesitate. The leader, from behind his mask, took a good look at the young man wearing the cloak of the Hokage. He looked into the blues of the Uzumaki's eyes and saw that he had suffered, but he had also decided to stay strong and move forward.

He understood what it was like to lose, and he was able to overcome that rage and anguish.

"…We withdraw," the leader ordered.

"Sir?" one of his subordinates asked.

"This man has us at his mercy, and yet he gives us the chance to walk away with no consequences; even when we aimed to kill him. So long as someone like this leads the Leaf, I can try to move on from what happened so long ago."

The others looked to one another for a few moments before they turned to Naruto. "We surrender, Hokage."

The blonde Uzumaki gave them all a relieved smile as he dispelled his clones and let them stand. "I hope that if we meet again, it'll be on better terms."

The leader said nothing, only giving Naruto a single nod of respect before he left with his fellow Wood Ninja. With that issue dealt with, Naruto looked to his friends with a proud smile that they returned before they resumed their trek to Iron Country.

 **(-)**

Sasuke glowered from his position, watching the samurai of Iron Country escorting the arriving Kage and their escorts. He recognized Gaara and mentally scoffed. He didn't care about the redheaded Sand ninja, more focused on seeing who would be coming to represent the Hidden Leaf.

Tobi, or _Madara_ as he went by, told him that the most likely choice for temporary Hokage would be an old man named Danzo; someone who not only had a hand in the Uchiha Massacre, but was rumored to have taken many of their eyes for some purpose. After learning the "truth" of what had happened, he had no intention of letting that injustice to his clan slide.

He'd kill Danzo, and then kill the other two Elders of the Hidden Leaf. And then…he'd destroy the very village that spit on Itachi's sacrifice. He refused to let them remain so peaceful and happy when his people were killed out of stubborn fear.

They would all pay. He'd make sure of it.

 **(-)**

Two blonde men stared one another down across a snow-covered field. "Hokage," greeted the larger of the two.

"Raikage," Naruto replied, subtly shifting his body to cover Hinata more. "Did your shinobi tell you my response regarding Sasuke?"

"They did, which I'll admit to being surprised over. Reports on my end have told me that you and the Uchiha were close. I would think you'd have come begging me to take back the order."

"I might have if I didn't realize the consequences such a thing would've caused. I know that Sasuke has done wrong against you and your village, and I can't keep trying to defend him when I know it'll put the rest of my village – the rest of my _friends_ – at risk for war. I only ask that you allow us to handle his punishment upon capture, please. We must take responsibility for never labeling him a criminal earlier."

"So long as I can be witness to his trial and have a say in his punishment," the Raikage stipulated.

"That could be arranged. Thank you for understanding."

The large man nodded once before the two groups finished the trip together. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that the young Kage was staying close to the obvious Hyuuga girl. He would've scoffed if he didn't understand why he was acting in such a manner. It was definitely one of the less noteworthy actions his village had taken against another, and based on the nerves the girl had, he could only guess that she was the one that they had attempted to take.

Still, he couldn't hide his smirk at how similar the two looked to his late rival and his wife. Truly, the world was blind or foolish to not see who the young Uzumaki's parents were; especially when he looked so much like his father yet carried the Uzumaki name.

 _'Let's see how your son holds up, Minato,'_ Ay mused to himself just as some samurai came to escort them.

 **(-)**

"Well, this is a surprise," Tobi mused as he stood next to Zetsu and Team Taka. "I thought you said Danzo would be the new Hokage, Zetsu?"

 **"Perhaps the boy's victory over Pein won him their support?"** Black Zetsu suggested.

"Possibly," the masked Uchiha replied. "Still, do you wish to continue, Sasuke?"

Sharingan eyes glared down at the blonde walking through the snowy town. Memories of past fights and experiences came up and his teeth gnashed together. "Taka," he spoke up, "we're moving in."

The trio consisting of Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo stood up alongside their leader and followed him. "Should we assist?" White Zetsu asked.

"Why don't you observe their meeting for a moment before crashing their party?" Tobi suggested, earning a wicked grin from the White half of the plant-like man.

Black and White separated from one another, becoming two separate bodies before the White half sank into the ground and disappeared. Black then asked, **"How do you think Naruto will stand compared to his father, Obito?"**

The long-considered dead Uchiha said nothing in response, gazing through the eyehole of his orange mask and locking his own Sharingan on the Hokage stand-in before moving to a familiar head of silver hair. Unconsciously, his right hand clenched and trembled in building fury before he forced himself to calm down.

"He'll never stack up to Namikaze," Obito finally answered, disappearing in his signature spacetime swirl.

Left alone, Black Zetsu chuckled to himself darkly and muttered, **"You'll be in for a surprise then, Obito…"**

 **(End)**

 **It's been awhile, huh? Sorry about that. Life's pretty busy and it leaves me with little time for much.**

 **I'm hoping to have more time soon; but, it may be a little while.**

 **At any rate, here's the update! Next chapter will go over the meeting and Sasuke's assault on the Summit. How will Naruto react to seeing his friend so lost in his own darkness? Will he be able to stop him?**

 **And what about Konan? Will she make an appearance?**

 **Stay tuned to see!**

 **On a side note, I'm considering trying a** _ **Naruto/Steven Universe**_ **idea… I never got into the series until recently and it's actually a lot better than I originally thought it'd be. I never thought I'd see an engaging plot from something I wrote off as a kid's show.**

 **It only shows to never judge by appearances.**

 **As for the idea, it was going to have Naruto paired with the beautiful Blue Diamond. Tell me what you guys think!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	4. Chapter 4: The Five Kage Summit

**Sorry for the long wait everyone! Here is the update!**

 **Disclaimer: The source material used in this FanFiction do not belong to me. This story is a nonprofit creation solely used for entertainment purposes.**

 **(Start)**

 _Because I Love You_

 _Chapter 4: The Summit_

 **(-)**

"Thank you all for attending," an elderly male voice announced to the Five Kage before him as the ten escorts took their seats on the upper levels behind their respective village leaders. "Please place your hats on the table and we may begin."

One by one, each of the Kage set down the hats that proudly displayed the insignia of their respective countries. The first to do so was the oldest of the group; the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. He was the shortest of the bunch with a bulbous nose and bald head that had hair around the sides and back. He also had a thick mustache-goatee combo going on.

Next was Ay, the Raikage. He regarded Ōnoki with a hard stare as they awaited the others.

Third to lower their hat was the only female Kage; Mei Terumi of the Hidden Mist. The new Mizukage was stunningly beautiful with russet hair and enticing green eyes. Her figure could've killed lesser men, and the battle kimono she wore only enticed her natural beauty.

Fourth was Gaara, the Kazekage. He calmly looked amongst the other Kage and gave them a single nod in greeting as he set his gourd down beside his chair.

Lastly, much to the surprise of many, was Naruto, the Hokage stand-in. He gave Gaara a sheepish grin and greeted, "Long time, eh Gaara?"

The Kazekage blinked twice before his eyes closed and he smiled in amusement. "Indeed it has been, Hokage."

Ōnoki looked on with wide eyes at the sight of Naruto's appearance, unable to stop himself from seeing the late Fourth Hokage in his place. _'So…our village's "boogeyman" had a child, eh? No doubt with that spitfire that was with him on most battlefields.'_

 _'My, he's quite a looker,'_ Mei mused to herself with a faint smirk as her eyes lit up slightly in delight. She caught a flicker of something and looked up to see lavender eyes staring back at her, narrowed slightly. _'Such a shame… As always, the good-looking men are taken…'_

"If you would all please take your seats," the elderly samurai continued, prompting the Five Kage to sit down. "My name is Mifune, Leader of the Land of Iron. I will act as the moderator and mediator of this meeting. I call this Meeting of the Five Kage to order. The floor is now yours."

Gaara looked to the others before he spoke up, "I'll go first, so listen up."

"The makeup of the Five Kage sure has changed over the years," Ōnoki cut off rudely. "You must be pretty special in order to be Kazekage at your age. I'm sure your father taught you a few things."

Naruto noticed his friend flinch minutely at that, making his blue eyes narrow.

"But apparently, he forgot to instill some manners into you."

"Perhaps," Gaara ceded, sharing a look with Naruto that made the blonde fight a smirk. "But, that's why I was chosen as my village's Kage."

"Tch! Cheeky brat…" grumbled the old man.

"Tsuchikage, please don't interrupt," Mei cut in. "Kazekage, please continue."

Nodding in thanks, Gaara resumed, "I know that the Akatsuki is dangerous, considering how I nearly died when they took the Ichibi from me. If it wasn't thanks to the efforts of the Hidden Leaf, and the sacrifice of one of the Hidden Sand Elders, I wouldn't be here."

He took a moment to let that sink in.

"I had requested aid from the other villages numerous times, only for those requests to be ignored by all except the previous Hokage. Unfortunately, with so many Jinchūriki captured, it's too late for aid. What we need is action."

"Hmph!" snorted the Tsuchikage, giving Naruto the impression that he was a prideful hardhead. "If a village loses its host, they shouldn't go whining to others for help or trying to give orders. It should be recovered discretely! If you can't even do that, then you don't deserve it!"

"It's thinking like that right there that's keeping our villages from moving forward," Naruto cut in, frowning at the Tsuchikage.

"And what would the brat of a murderer know?"

"You only say that because it was your people my father took down," the Uzumaki fired back. "I bet if it were the other way around, that man would've been hailed as a hero; just like the Fourth is back in the Hidden Leaf."

Mei and Gaara both looked surprised at that, and most of the escorts were also struck by shock at what Naruto had confessed. Kakashi chuckled beside Hinata at the shocked expressions while she grew worried at what Naruto's declaration would bring.

"If we only focus on ourselves and not our fellow ninja nations, then we become stuck in an era of stupid pride that starts to overpower our potential for peace. When the Kazekage was captured, I didn't care if he was from a different village than me. I didn't care if my help would've been frowned upon by other nations. All I cared about was that my friend was in trouble."

Gaara gave Naruto a side glance at that, smirking faintly in gratitude.

"I could've been like you, old man," he continued, speaking directly to the Tsuchikage who looked angry at the insulting title. "I could've ignored the Hidden Sand's request for help and ignored the previous Hokage's order to assist them; but I didn't. And now, both of our villages are stronger than ever because of our support for one another and the trust that Gaara and I have in each other."

Mei couldn't fight her smile at the speech, finding the blonde before her to be an inspiring and charismatic young man. "At any rate," she spoke up, "it's not like we really need to worry about the Bijuu held by the Akatsuki. It takes years to learn how to control the power of a Bijuu; and even then, a Jinchūriki may never learn control before their time comes."

"Sounds about right. Wouldn't you agree, Kazekage?" Ōnoki snarked smugly, earning silence from the redheaded leader.

The tension spiked in an instant, and Naruto narrowed his eyes before silently telling Kakashi and Hinata to hang back as the Raikage raised up an arm and brought it crashing down on his section of the ring table the Kage sat at. Upon impact, the table cracked and broke while the other escorts took up guarding positions near their Kage.

Gaara rose a brow at Naruto sitting without his guards, and Ōnoki snorted at that. "Such attentive guards you have there, _Hokage_. Truly worthy of their positions."

"They know when to act. However, it's more important that they know how _not_ to act since I tend to get rather destructive when I enter a fight. They wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire, after all," Naruto fired back with an easy smile. "But, if it makes you feel better…"

At the unspoken signal, Hinata and Kakashi took their positions _behind_ Naruto; the Hyuuga heiress looking determined while the Copy-Nin looked aloof and relaxed.

"Happy now?"

Mei and the Sand Siblings looked amused at that before Ay roared out, "Shut up with your useless yapping!"

He glared at the other ninja before him before Mifune cleared his throat. "We are all here to talk, Raikage. Please refrain from such displays of rudeness and immaturity."

Clicking his tongue to stave off his growing anger, the Raikage retook his seat while his guards returned to their positions.

"Thanks, you guys," Naruto softly said, earning faint smiles from the other two before they took their seats.

"Ao, Chōjūrō," Mei began, placing a hand on the former's arm, "it's alright now."

"Yes, ma'am. Let's go, Chōjūrō," the eyepatch wearing ninja stated.

"Y-Yes, senpai," the goggle-wearing ninja replied as the duo took their spots.

Gaara shared a look with his siblings, giving them an appreciative glance before silently gesturing them to get back. They nodded in understanding before complying with the order.

Ōnoki simply gave his ninja a look, and they quickly took their spots as Ay looked ready to speak again.

"The Akatsuki is made up of ninja from each of your villages! Not to mention that some of your Kage also used Akatsuki over the years!"

"Used them…?" Gaara repeated, looking surprised at the notion while Ōnoki scoffed at the accusation.

"He means when the Sand worked with Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams years ago," Naruto clarified with a frown, earning an understanding look from his friend.

"I see…" the redhead muttered with his own frown.

"The Akatsuki were a cheap mercenary force, and a better alternative to spending excessive amounts of money and time to building up our own ninja forces," the Tsuchikage explained.

"The Hidden Mist is the most suspicious!" Ay continued, speaking to Mei directly. "Your nation holds no diplomatic ties to anyone, and there are rumors that Akatsuki was originated from your nation!"

The Mizukage looked down in slight shame. "There were…rumors that my predecessor, Yagura, was being controlled by someone. I didn't want to make a big deal of it, but…part of me strongly believes that it was Akatsuki."

"You people…!" the Raikage growled out.

"Hold your tongue, Raikage!" Ōnoki cut off. "We wouldn't have needed to resort to hiring them if you didn't keep amassing military strength and putting us on edge! It was you taking advantage of this disarmament between our nations that forced our hands!"

 _"Uh-oh…"_ Kushina mused in Naruto's head. _"Better step in before things heat up again, Naruto."_

"You dare accuse-?!"

"Before we keep fighting amongst ourselves," Naruto cut in, steepling his hands much like Sarutobi did many times in his memories, "there's some major news about the Akatsuki that you all seriously need to know."

"And that would be?" pressed Ay, still trying to reign in his anger.

"The true leader of the Akatsuki is declaring himself to be Madara Uchiha…"

The other Kage, Mifune, and all the escorts – including Naruto's – all looked stunned at the news. "But he should be long dead!"

"Believe me, I'm strongly hoping that it's just someone pretending to be him so that he's taken more seriously; but the fact remains that he's dangerous. Originally, it was believed that Pein of the Hidden Rain was the leader; but I've been shown the truth."

"And where is your source?" Mei asked, her face set in a frown in anxiety at Naruto's bombshell of a reveal.

"It was a chakra imprint of my parents that showed me," Naruto answered before he went into detail. "My seal only holds half of the Kyuubi while the other half is held by my father, whose soul is residing in the stomach of the Shinigami. Before sealing half of the Kyuubi, my parents imprinted a portion of their chakra cores into the seal; staying there until a certain parameter was met."

"And their chakra was conscious enough to share insight and memories with you," Gaara deduced, earning a nod from his friend.

"Yes. During my fight with Pein…I nearly lost myself to the Kyuubi when I thought I had lost someone important to me."

Hinata looked down in shame, and Kakashi comforted her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I had gone up to eight tails worth of power and nearly tore off the seal, but my parents stepped in and stopped me from doing so. My father's chakra restored the seal before it faded, but my mother's chakra was able to reveal the truth concerning the night of my birth and the sealing of half the Kyuubi within me. It was supposedly Madara who forced the Kyuubi from her own seal and had it attack the Hidden Leaf all those years ago."

"That would mean that…if this person was not truly Madara Uchiha," Mei began, "then their chakra and Sharingan are still strong enough to take control of a fully formed Kyuubi. Whether they're Madara or not, they're still extremely dangerous."

"Exactly, and this person is controlling the Akatsuki…" Naruto finished, letting it all sink in for the other leaders.

Mifune spoke up after a few moments of silence. "As a neutral country, I must admit that the Akatsuki are a threat that I predict will encompass the Elemental Nations as a whole. As such, I have a proposal for the five of you, considering how opportune a gathering like this is."

The Five Kage gave the Samurai Leader their attention.

"What do you say to your five villages coming together for a joint alliance, just until the threat of Akatsuki is dealt with completely?" the man suggested.

"An alliance…?" Ay repeated in surprise.

"A temporary joining of all five of our villages…" Mei mused thoughtfully.

"It's unheard of," Ōnoki scoffed.

"But it makes sense," Gaara fired back.

"An alliance sounds like exactly the type of thing we need to deal with the Akatsuki," Naruto declared. If the five of us and our villages work together, there's nothing that we couldn't handle. And besides, it's not like we'll be forcing this issue for years to come; just until Akatsuki is handled. I'm all for this."

"As am I," Gaara agreed.

"I am, as well," Mei joined in, sending the two younger Kage a smile. "The two of you have this camaraderie between you that I find myself wanting to get behind. If it helps take down the Akatsuki and remove a blemish on my village's history, then I vote in favor for this alliance."

Naruto returned her smile before the three of them turned to the two stubborn Kage. "What do you two think? You can't deny that the Akatsuki will be easier to handle if we all work together."

Ōnoki harrumphed at that. "I'm not denying anything, brat. I just don't like the idea of working alongside the son of the man I loathe."

"Well, when the Akatsuki are dealt with, we can go back to stupidly hating each other for events that happened a generation ago," Naruto jabbed with an annoyed tone. "Until then, how about we focus on the threats of the _current_ generation?"

 _"What do you say to that, you damnable old coot?! Who the hell do you think you are to talk shit on my husband like that, ttebane?!"_ Kushina raged.

Ay looked to the blonde Uzumaki, locking eyes with the younger man and seeing raw, unflinching determination within the blue orbs that reminded him so much of his late rival. He smirked at the sight, shaking his head with a faint chuckle.

"To hell with it… I'm in," he spoke up. "Besides, this means I'll have a better shot at getting those bastards back for taking Bee!"

"I doubt that he's lost his Bijuu, Raikage," Naruto informed him.

"Come again?"

"You see, it takes a _long_ time for them to remove a Bijuu. With Gaara, it took them a couple days at least, and that was also with them being distracted by my team and another from the Hidden Leaf. Not to mention that they have lost over half of their members over the past few months. So, if they took so long with the Ichibi and a full membership, imagine how long it'll take with half of their members and the _Hachibi_."

"That means that there's still time!" Mei exclaimed.

"Plus, I don't think Pein would've attacked the Hidden Leaf if they had captured Bee around the same time," Naruto continued.

This made Ay clench his fist in realization. "Dammit, Bee…" he growled out. "You slipped off and pulled a bait and switch, didn't you? When I get ahold of you…"

"Assuming that we all agree to this alliance," Ōnoki spoke up, "there would still be the matter of deciding who would lead the conjoined forces."

"If you'd allow me," Mifune spoke up again, "perhaps I could decide amongst you who I believe, as an unbiased leader, who should take up the position?"

"I'd like to go ahead and say that I'm not ready for that position," Naruto spoke up.

 _"Naruto…?"_ Kushina asked in surprise.

"I've only been recently chosen to be the Hokage while Tsunade is in a coma. I'm still trying to get a handle on leading a Hidden Village; so, I don't think I'd be able to handle leading _four others_ at the same time," he explained. "I'm still lacking that type of experience."

"Hmph! Something we can finally agree on, brat…" Ōnoki snarked.

"That confession of your shortcomings shows me that you'll be a successful Hokage someday, Uzumaki-san," Mifune complimented, nodding to the blonde in respect. "Admittedly, I was considering you, but I agree that your inexperience in leading wouldn't help the situation."

"Then who do you believe should lead, Mifune-sama?" Mei asked.

"The decision, for me, is rather difficult. The Kazekage, while looking capable, is too young. I worry about his limited experience like the Hokage has admitted about himself. On the other hand, the Tsuchikage is too old, and he's not as mobile as he used to be."

Ōnoki growled at the truthful statements, looking away angrily.

"If you, Lady Mizukage, were chosen, then the others would worry about information leaks considering the history of your village," Mifune continued, earning a nod of understanding from the woman. "This leaves the Raikage; though, I'm concerned that his emotional outbursts may impede his ability to lead this alliance."

Ay glowered at that, but he understood where the samurai was coming from.

"As such, my decision is…"

 **(-)**

"Is your other half in position?"

 **"Ready and waiting. Sasuke's team is also in a position to begin, but the samurai will no doubt spot them soon."**

"Then let's begin…"

 **(-)**

"HELLO, EVERYONE~!" White Zetsu exclaimed happily as he burst out of the center of the room.

"Now what?!" Ay yelled.

"Akatsuki?" Mei asked in surprise.

"I was wondering if they'd barge in on this meeting," Ōnoki grumbled.

Gaara frowned at Zetsu while Naruto discretely made a clone appear next to Hinata and Kakashi, which immediately took a seated position to gather natural energy.

"Sasuke Uchiha is somewhere in this building~!" White Zetsu continued. "But where, oh where could he be~?"

Ay turned red in rage, and he had Zetsu by the throat in an instant while the plant man was left in shock at the man's speed. "Where is that bastard?! Tell me!"

"Sasuke's here…?" Temari asked in surprise.

"That can't be good," Kankuro muttered.

"Wasn't he one of the ninja who defeated Zabuza-sama?" Chōjūrō asked Ao.

"According to reports, yes," the man answered, looking to Naruto and Kakashi out of the corner of his eye. _'Team 7 of the Hidden Leaf… Three of you are here now, but one of you is about to have hell raised upon them…'_

"Who's that?" Akatsuchi asked.

"Wasn't he the one that killed Deidara?" Kurotsuchi questioned her grandfather.

"The name is familiar," the Tsuchikage admitted.

Gaara noted how Naruto was frowning at the table, not focused on what was happening.

"Okay! I'll give you a hint-!" White Zetsu began before his neck was snapped by Ay.

"Shī, Darui! Let's go!" the Raikage ordered.

"Was it necessary to kill him? If we had captured him, we could've gotten more intel," Mei admonished.

"Not with these guys," Naruto shot down calmly, refocusing on the others.

"They wouldn't betray their organization," Gaara agreed. "They're too hardcore…"

"I see…" Mei sighed out.

"Sound the alarm and order all able samurai to bring down Sasuke Uchiha and any accomplices," Mifune ordered the two samurai behind him, who nodded and relayed the order through their communication sets shared amongst the higher-ranking samurai of the building.

As this was happening, Ay burst through one of the walls of the room and rushed off to join the fray. "Sorry about the door…and the table," Darui sheepishly apologized before Shī urged him to follow their Kage.

"Good grief…" Ōnoki sighed with a smirk. "He was always unruly as a child, but it looks like he's still the same as a Kage."

"It takes all kinds, Tsuchikage," Mei fired back. "Are we to join in?"

Naruto slowly stood up from his seat, exhaling tiredly as a defeated look appeared in his eyes. For a moment, he looked vulnerable to anything the world could throw at him.

A hand pressed against his cheek, making him tense with widened eyes before he looked to see Hinata was the one to snap him out of his daze. "…We have to go, Naruto-kun…" she softly stated.

Mei rose a brow at the byplay, smiling at the obvious closeness between them and the even more obvious love the Hyuuga held for the blonde Hokage. _'Truly a shame… But, I doubt there are many who could show that level of dedication to the one they love. A nice catch you've found, Hyuuga-chan. You'd better keep a firm hold of him, or else another woman will snatch him from you.'_

"I'll go on ahead," Kakashi informed Naruto before he took off.

"Hey, can I watch? I'd like to see just what this Sasuke guy is made of," Kurotsuchi asked.

"Feh! Do as you please," Ōnoki waved off, and his granddaughter quickly took off.

 _"Sweetheart… You need to face him, otherwise you'll never find your own closure to this,"_ Kushina gently eased her son. _"Don't worry, you're not alone in this fight, but neither is Sasuke. You can't afford to hesitate."_

Taking a breath, Naruto gently removed Hinata's hand and gave her a single nod as his old determination roared with life in his eyes. "Let's move."

"Right!" she replied, taking off with the Uzumaki.

"Should we follow them?" Temari asked Gaara, who simply stood up and gathered his gourd.

"I refuse to stay back and let my friend fight alone," the Kazekage declared. He turned to the remaining two Kage and requested, "Please remain here in case Sasuke comes here for Mifune-sama. We don't know what his endgame is, after all."

Mei nodded once in understanding while Ōnoki grumbled about being ordered by someone a fraction his age.

 **(-)**

"AARGH!" a samurai roared in agony as he was caught by Sasuke's Amaterasu. It had been aimed for the Raikage, but the man's Lightning Armor granted him incredible speed which helped him evade the black flames.

The samurai wasn't so lucky.

"Quick! Put the flames out!" another cried.

"Don't touch them, fool!" yelled a third. "Those aren't ordinary flames! Keep your distance!"

Shī had been rendered unconscious by a genjutsu from the Sharingan while Darui was busy with Suigetsu and Jugo, who had used his Curse Mark to try and take on the Raikage, was knocked out by the sheer force of the man's power. Sasuke was also partially surrounded by some ribs of the fable Susano'o.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" declared a voice that was familiar to the Uchiha, and he turned to see Kakashi using the jutsu to blow the armor off the samurai as the Amaterasu reduced it to ash before dispelling.

"Kakashi…" Sasuke called out in a dull tone, earning the man's attention.

A sigh escaped the Leaf Jonin's masked lips, and he took a slouched stance with his hands in his pockets. "I warned you about what your anger and hatred would bring you, Sasuke… I had hoped that you would've listened to me; but, looks like I gave you too much credit."

"Don't patronize me, Hatake. You have no idea what I'm going through, what needs to be done!"

He would've said more, but his Sharingan caught movement out of his peripheral and he produced a skeletal arm from Susano'o to try and block an elbow strike from the Raikage. To his frustration, the arm trembled from the force and cracked in a few spots.

Crackling was heard next, and he turned to have the damaged arm backhand a wolf made of lightning that Kakashi sent towards him. Twin Mangekyō eyes narrowed hatefully at the single Sharingan that his old sensei had uncovered.

"How many times has my Clan's blood saved you, Hatake? You should be grateful to the Uchiha!"

His rage spiked again, and the Susano'o grew into a skeletal torso with a horned skull attached to a spinal cord. Hollow eyes stared down at the other ninja from the skull, but they suddenly lit up with "life", which took on a sick yellow glow.

"So…he really progressed this far in such a short time," Kakashi mused as his Sharingan morphed into its Mangekyō form.

"Hatake!" Ay called out. "Stay out of this! This is my fight!"

The Copy-Nin gave the man a dull stare at that. "Geez… He's more stubborn than rumors warned us about…"

The ninja all tensed, ready for the next round before the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. Looking towards one of the halls, they saw black sandals stepping into the light, followed by black pants and the bottom of a white cloak with red flames on the bottom. Following this was an orange and black top before the whiskered face of Naruto Uzumaki was revealed with Hinata Hyuuga standing behind him at the ready; her Byakugan active for the fight ahead.

Blue eyes locked onto the red and black orbs of his estranged and fallen friend, looking upon him somberly before they hardened in determination once more. "Sasuke…"

"Naruto…" the Uchiha retorted.

 _'Hang on,'_ Karin, who had hidden herself from the fight thought in surprise, looking over the railing and getting her first real look at her fellow Uzumaki. _'That's the guy Tobi said defeated Pein?'_

She frowned and readjusted her glasses as she got a feel for his chakra. As soon as her touched his, she recoiled in shock at what she felt.

 _'T-The hell…?! His chakra is huge! And it's not the only one he has! He has another massive source that feels evil; most likely the Kyuubi Tobi warned us about. But the third…it feels warm and protective; almost loving. It's also feeding off the Kyuubi's chakra to stay active! What the hell is he?!'_

She then felt something else occurring as Naruto stood in place and had his stare down with Sasuke.

 _'He's gathering chakra from his surroundings, merging it with his own somehow at a steady rate while his chakra is totally calm. Whatever he's doing…it's not going to be good for Sasuke…'_

Naruto sighed defeatedly and spoke again, earning her attention. "You really dug yourself deep, you bastard… Infiltrating another village and going after their Jinchūriki was stupider than anything I've ever done over the years; and I've done _lots_ of stupid shit."

 _"I want to be supportive, I really do; but I can't deny what you said. Sorry, dear…"_

 _'No worried. I know I did stupid things. I'm fine admitting it.'_

"Who are you to judge what I do? You who live in a village of ignorant fools who don't understand what's been done to maintain their foolish notion of peace," Sasuke fired back with a hateful glare.

"I've been preparing myself for this, Sasuke… I wasn't looking forward to it, but I knew that I'd need to be ready to face you. That's why I looked into whatever I could concerning you before I left the village; to the point of not getting any sleep."

"What are you going on about now, loser?" the Uchiha pressed in annoyance, using his old nickname for the blonde Uzumaki.

Blue eyes narrowed towards him as Naruto declared, "I found out the truth about your Clan and Itachi."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

 _'He's not bluffing,'_ Karin noted with a frown. _'Chakra fluctuates when someone lies; no matter how good they are at it. His is still calm…'_

"I understand why you're mad, and I'm tempted to let you deal with those old cronies back home. But, I can't stand by and let you make yourself a bigger criminal; not when you're already one on an international scale," Naruto continued before closing his eyes.

"And what are you going to do, Naruto? Fight me?" Sasuke challenged.

"Yes," he answered.

Karin's eyes widened as Naruto's chakra suddenly grew. _'The chakra he was gathering_ _…!_ _It saturated his own chakra beyond Bijuu levels!'_

His eyes opened and revealed toad-like orbs within as his eyelids gains orange pigmentation. "I'm going to fight you…and I'll make you answer for what you did."

He flexed his chakra, cracking the ground beneath him so much that it shook the entire area and spread the cracks to each of the pillars. Everyone tensed at the raw strength Naruto's chakra held while Kushina narrowed her eyes within the seal.

 _"Abandon any fears you have Naruto… Press on and see this through… I'm with you."_

Finishing his speech, Naruto declared, "As the acting Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, I'm naming you, Sasuke Uchiha, a criminal to be captured for trial. Prepare yourself!"

With that, he charged ahead towards the toughest fight of his life.

 **(-)**

Amber eyes looked down upon the wolfish faces of the famous mountain of the Land of Iron. Hesitation and doubt were seen in their molten depths before they closed, and the owner shook their head to clear away any anxieties. When they opened again, they gave a glow of determination before the person willed their body to split apart, breaking away into hundreds of paper sheets that folded in winged forms before they descended upon the area.

As the hundreds of papers flew through the snowing air, some of them caught sight of two familiar figures before they moved faster, entering through one of the maws of the wolf mountains and entering the building where the Five Kage were rumored to be meeting. As soon as they safely entered the building, the papers gathered together and reformed themselves into Konan.

She took a quick look of her surroundings before she heard crashes and sounds of combat. Her eyes narrowed before she rushed towards the source, hoping to make it in time to help the man who helped her hope again.

"Naruto…" she murmured to herself as she picked up the pace, biting her thumbs before flashing through handseals. "I'm coming."

Clapping her hands together, she crossed her arms to touch her shoulders as two small plumes of smoke appeared before they revealed the Toad Elders. Not a second after, she took a soldier pill to restore her rapidly depleted chakra.

"Finally made a decision, eh?" Fukasaku asked rhetorically.

"I have," she answered.

"And what do you plan to do, dearie?" Shima asked calmly.

Feeling her chakra restored, Konan answered in a strong voice, "I plan to help him. I'll be his pillar…no matter what happens."

The two Elders nodded before they clapped their forelimbs together and started gathering natural energy. "Then you'd better hurry," Shima advised. "Naruto-chan is battling a very dark chakra right now, and he's already called on his Sage Mode."

"We'll focus on gathering energy," Fukasaku informed. "You just get us to the battle in one piece."

Nodding once, Konan reformed her paper wings as her legs disappeared, literally flying through the halls towards the battle. _'I'm not afraid anymore… Jiraiya-sensei… Please watch me. I'll keep the wills of you, Nagato, and Yahiko alive; I promise.'_

 **(End)**

 **Whew! That was a lot of typing! Believe it or not, I started and finished this in the span of about five hours! Amazing how much I can get down when my muse is working!**

 **Anyway, the fight between Naruto and Sasuke has arrived! And Konan has finally decided to join her fellow student of the Toad Sage on his quest for peace! How will it all go down in this battle of the Kage Summit?**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


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